Speech by Her Excellency the President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil, at the Inauguration of the National Conference of Women Scientists and Presentation of the National Awards for Women's Development Through Application of Science and Techn

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to participate at the National Conference for Women Scientists being held on a day, celebrated every year all over the world as the International Day for Women. I take this opportunity to convey my greetings for this Day and to remind that to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including those relating to promoting gender equality and women empowerment, by 2015 would require our concerted and collective efforts. On the International Day for Women, we should reaffirm our commitment to achieve these Goals. I have no doubt that given the opportunity; women would excel in every field. But the question is can we give women the necessary education, skills, options and a level field play? Can we overcome societal biases against women? Can we fight against social evils and discrimination against women? Only if the answer to all these questions is in the affirmative, will we achieve gender equality.

I am happy to see a large number of women scientists in the audience. I congratulate those who have been conferred the National Awards for Women's Development through Application of Science and Technology for the year 2007. Women scientists in our country must be encouraged and I look forward to the day when with their talent, hard work and dedication they will bring laurels to our country and I am sure that they have the ability to do that. India had the first successful Green Revolution in agriculture. It is necessary now to have a second Green Revolution and I appeal to our agricultural scientists and other stakeholders to work very hard to achieve this goal. When we talk of women scientists, the name of Madam Curie invariably comes to mind. She got the Nobel Prize first in 1903 in Physics and then again in 1911 in Chemistry. She created history by winning two Nobel Prizes in a span of 8 years. Her life can be an inspiration for women scientists. In fact, she is the only Nobel Prize winner who is the mother of another Nobel Prize winner - her daughter Irene Curie - who won the Prize for Chemistry.

Science and Technology profoundly influence the course of human civilization and hold the key to economic growth and social development. It was the understanding of this basic premise that prompted our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to make Science and Technology central to India's development efforts since Independence. Research and Development efforts must continue to receive high priority in our policy formulations, particularly as we move towards a knowledge-based society. Inventions and innovations should be deployed to make our services, industry and agriculture sectors modern, more productive and competitive. Users of scientific innovation and technologies should invest in R and D efforts, for their future growth and sustainability. Today, cutting edge technology plays a critical role in communications, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, automobile and many other manufacturing industries. These industries should involve women scientists in their R and D efforts.

Participation of women in the dynamic field of science is central not only in our efforts for gender equality but also to make women stakeholders of the future construct of the world. Women scientists would bring into scientific research the instincts most commonly associated with women - to create, to nurture, to preserve and to work selflessly with dedication. I am glad that in the Science and Technology Policy of 2003, the Government of India has committed itself to promote the full and equal participation of women in all science and technological activities. I appreciate the steps taken by the Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences to promote young scientist. This is an objective for which we must work incessantly.

The proportion of women as compared to men in active research in science is small. Also, the enrollment of girls in the science discipline is limited. Our efforts to nurture women scientists must, therefore, begin at the school level itself. There could be a scholarship scheme for the girl child who wishes to pursue science courses. The second challenge is how to ensure that women who study science are able to pursue their career. India has produced some outstanding women scientists but it has been seen that most women who become scientists, professional engineers and doctors, have to manage the dual responsibilities of home and work. This same situation had confronted Madame Curie. When asked how she reconciled family life with a scientific career, she said, "it has not been easy". The time has come to look at the constraints that women face while pursuing the science discipline and find solutions to facilitate their participation. I understand that some steps have been taken in this regard. The Department of Science and Technology has set up a Women Scientist's Cell - Protsahyaki - a nodal point to focus on gender enabling measures and instituted the Women Scientists Fellowship to provide opportunities to women scientists. I hope that the National Task Force for Women in Science set up to examine issues related to women in science, comprehensively and in detail, will recommend measures to facilitate the practice of science by women.

Women scientists can also play and take steps to support each other. They can work towards building a network of women scientists, mentor younger women who wish to pursue a career in science and undertake advocacy for influencing policy development. Women scientists could also look at increasing their visibility by participating in community projects.

It is essential that Science and Technology be imbibed with social consciousness. Women scientists can bring about significant social change by working at the grassroots level for women's empowerment through the application of Science and Technology. Women constitute the majority of farm labour in the country and are extensively involved in agricultural activities from planting to harvesting and post-harvest operations. In the case of dairy production, women account for a large proportion of the total employment and in the fishery sector, mainly women perform all processing, drying and curing activities. I would urge the scientific community, particularly women scientists, to look at technological options which would take into account gender concerns while designing tools and equipment. I am glad that the Department of Science and Technology has facilitated over a dozen Women Technology Parks in rural areas aimed at providing a platform for rural women to access technologies relevant to them and to provide them requisite support to use the technologies. There is need to develop a spirit of entrepreneurship among women, thereby creating more jobs opportunities, self-esteem and greater growth of women. A Biotechnology Park at Chennai, supported by the Department of Biotechnology, promotes biotechnology-based entrepreneurship among women scientists. I would urge other agencies in the Government and outside to take similar initiatives that harness the potential of women.

Science and Technology have been an integral part of Indian civilization over the past several millennia. As a result, we today have a rich heritage of traditional medicines as also a strong base of indigenous knowledge. Women are the repositories of this traditional knowledge. They also possess vast knowledge of the eco-system and its properties. Science could help in conserving and making available traditional knowledge and medicine to the world. Rural women could be the para-technologists in this endeavour.

I conclude by wishing the Conference success in meeting its objective of showcasing successful case studies of women scientists who excelled in scientific research, discussing gender issues which hinder the growth of women as scientists and creating awareness regarding available government schemes for promoting science careers for women.

Thank You.

JAI HIND !