Women And Sceince: An Examination Of Women's Access To And Retention In Scentific Careers

Concerned with the question of gender equity in access to and retention in science education and careers, this study has contacted about 149 women scientists and 147 women students across a broad spectrum of institutions in the country. The aim of the study was to delineate the personal and institutional factors that exclude women from science. The study began with a critical examination of some of exclusionary practices within the educational system as well as the scientific institutions. In the current social environment, the reasons why women are not visible in sciences are because of some of the constraints imposed on them by society. These constraints are seen as emerging partly within the social environment (i.e.,the family, caste and kin-group) and partly from the institutional practices/policies.