Empowering Women In STEAM: Know How 'Women In Tech' Is Bridging Gender Gaps Globally And In India

Women in Tech (WIT) is part of a global drive keen on ending the gender gap in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) fields. The initiative began in 2018 and has since been a driving force in promoting education, business opportunities, digital inclusion, and advocacy for women and girls in 61 countries across six continents.

Launched in March, the India Chapter has set a bold vision to empower 5 million women and girls in STEAM by 2030, addressing systemic challenges such as career dropout rates and the gender paradox.

Business North East (BNE) conducted an exclusive interview with Regional Director Shradhanjali Sarma, who discussed the drive and its performance in the Northeast.

Here are the excerpts from the Q&A interview:

BNE: What is Women in Tech, and what are its main activities? 

Shradhanjali Sarma: Women in Tech is a global movement aiming to bridge the gender gap in STEAM fields. Established in 2018, WIT focuses on education, business, digital inclusion, and advocacy, driving measurable impact worldwide. WIT's India Chapter started in March, and its growth has been remarkable. It aims to empower five million women and girls in STEAM by 2030, addressing issues such as the high dropout rate of girls in STEAM careers and the Gender paradox in India. WIT aims to evolve mediums that foster women's growth in tech, including academia, jobs and decision-making roles, in more empowering and enjoyable ways. WIT plans to promote women in deep tech and research to contribute to India's resource pool and intellectual capital in 2025.

BNE: Can you please highlight some of WIT's key achievements so far?

Shradhanjali Sarma: Yes, WIT has achieved significant milestones globally. So far, we have had over 276,000 event participants, impacted 67,000 individuals through various skilling programs, donated as many as 350 computers to support education and digital literacy, and successfully paired 2,000 mentors and mentees to foster career growth globally. While in India, the major activities include hosting events to inspire and empower women in tech, establishing mentorship and networking programs, facilitating job opportunities through the Talent Hub, focusing on digital inclusion, upskilling programs in marginalized communities, organizing women-only hackathons and training programs in AI/GenAI and marketable skills for young girls seeking tech careers.

BNE: How are local tech companies and industries collaborating to support women in tech?

Shradhanjali Sarma: WIT has partnered with multinational companies, NGOs, and other organizations in India to reach women in the Northeast. They have partnered with the Centre for Social and Digital Development (CSDD) and Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) to conduct digital inclusion programs, including cybersecurity training for rural women entrepreneurs and youth. They have also provided online legal counselling to help women entrepreneurs overcome legal challenges and tech-related issues.

BNE: Can you provide examples of successful partnerships or mentorship programs? Can you share some success stories of women in tech from the Northeast that can serve as inspiration?

Shradhanjali Sarma: We have successfully collaborated with the Centre for Social and Digital Development (CSDD) and Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) to conduct cybersecurity training for rural women entrepreneurs to help them safeguard their businesses against cyber attacks. The session introduced core cybersecurity concepts relevant to businesses, and we demonstrated the idea through practical examples. In addition, to help the rural women entrepreneurs apply these concepts practically, we conducted role-play sessions.   

Women In Tech India has also joined hands with the Youth Internet Governance Forum (YIGF), an initiative recognized by the UN Internet Governance Forum, to conduct sessions on cybersecurity for students between the age group of 18-25. The intention behind these sessions is to create awareness and to help individuals in this age group safely navigate the internet, especially during an age where there is dominant use of social media.   

In October last, for our WIT India women start-up members, we extended a 100 per cent fee waiver in a 12-wee, high-impact ‘Propel Program' designed for early-growth stage women entrepreneurs. In collaboration with WE-Hub andWadhwani Foundation, this initiative aims to provide dedicated mentorship and personalized support to up to 20 start-ups in the Propel (Early traction stage) program and 30-35 in the Spark (early stage) program.  

In addition to the above, we have collaborated with Assam Startup and Women Entrepreneurial Network Nagaland (WENN) to conduct a virtual session for women entrepreneurs to help them understand the challenges that women entrepreneurs face and how they can be navigated.  

Our Girls4Girls (G4G) project focused on helping young women and girls find the courage, vision, and skills to pursue their fullest leadership potential. We launched a mentoring initiative where girls with leadership qualities and aspirations were paired with industry mentors and guided through a 6-module program covering both hard and soft skills essential for leadership. The program entailed running through the relevant framework of Harvard professors, role play and unpacking limiting beliefs with mentors, and validation through external speakers who shared their genuine leadership journey.

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BNE: What strategic initiatives are you planning to implement to enhance the representation and success of women in tech? 

Shradhanjali Sarma: In 2025, Women In Tech will increase its focus on women in deep tech, building on its pillars of advocacy, training, mentoring, and digital inclusion. Moreover, it will be accountable for reporting progress to the Edison Alliance under the World Economic Forum. To advance their 'Women in Science' program, we hope to tighten ties with agencies like the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (IFCPAR/CEFIPRA) with the targeted network initiative of the French Development Agency (AFD), Greening of Finance by Women (GroW) aims to empower women in India by improving their access to the Indian financial system. It also emphasizes IIT's research initiatives involving women in leadership positions.

BNE: What platforms or forums do Women in Tech offer for women to connect, share knowledge, and provide mutual support?

Shradhanjali Sarma: We have a digital platform (wit-h.com) where individuals can register for FREE and access our global resources on networking, mentorship, jobs, and training, becoming a part of the community. Additionally, we have a WhatsApp community and a LinkedIn space where we share opportunities and updates on the Chapter Initiatives. We have five sub-regions within India, and each regional chapter has community meets planned, which serve as a platform for everyone to connect physically.