Women, STEM, and South Asia [Women in Microwaves

Abstract

The invitation to write an article for the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S) Women in Microwaves organization is an opportunity that has compelled me to think about whether problems faced in the field of technology by women in the developing world could be comprehended by an international audience. In a society where sociocultural norms in general ban women’s movement in public spheres, choosing a field dominated by males is not something commonly done (see <xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Figure 1</xref> ). From my personal experience, I can say that I did not face any such hurdles while I was preparing to enter the field of electrical engineering. However, when I analyze the world after entering university, I can see that ingrained social norms, often referred to as <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">unconscious bias</i> , have made gender discrimination seem so normal that it goes unnoticed and is acceptable by both men and women.