Women remain absent from artificial intelligence, accounting for just 26 per cent of professionals in data science and AI globally, according to UNESCO’s latest Global Education Monitoring report. Despite women comprising 35 per cent of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates worldwide, progress towards narrowing the gender gap has stalled over the past decade, the study found.

UNESCO data further showed that representation falls even further in specialised fields: women make up only 12 per cent of cloud computing professionals and just 15 per cent in engineering.

The report attributed this stagnation to enduring gender stereotypes and a noticeable lack of confidence amongst girls in subjects like mathematics — even when their performance matches or exceeds that of boys.

So, what’s the situation in India?

In March, 2024 UGC chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar said that India has set a world record with 40 per cent enrolment of women in STEM fields, reported The Hindu.

In India, initiatives such as Vigyan Jyoti, GATI, CURIE programmes and supernumerary seats at the IITs aim to boost female STEM enrolment.

But it doesn’t help as the gender gap remains. One former IT sector professional, now a 40‑year‑old homemaker Megna Chatterjee, recounted her own experience to The Telegraph Online : “I personally believe that there is a huge pay gap between men and women working in the same office with the same designation which is sad. Even at times I have seen that a woman is much more qualified than the man who is being paid more.”

Domain experts said that girls face early setbacks, stereotypes, such as mathematics being a boy’s domain, that influence their education choices and also shape their career.

“Parents and teachers may unknowingly convey the idea that math is a male domain, leading to lower expectations for girls. Also leading girls to doubt their own capabilities and feel less confident which can impact performances and test scores,” a teacher at Delhi Public School told The Telegraph Online, highlighting how mathematics anxiety can deter young women from pursuing STEM careers.

Workplace barriers compound the problem. “Many women in STEM fields report experiencing a hostile or unwelcoming workplace culture, including issues like gender discrimination, harassment, and lack of support for work‑life balance. These factors can drive women away from STEM professions. Less women in these fields will affect the industry,” the DPS teacher warned.

A college professor with 12 years’ experience in education, and who declined to be named, also said that in India many women, from childhood are discouraged from pursuing STEM fields due to stereotypes that STEM is better suited for boys.

“Many women start out in STEM majors in college but drop out at various stages of their education or careers. This is sometimes referred to as the leaky pipeline, and it is due to a combination of factors, including lack of support and mentorship," said the college Professor who has been in the education industry for the past 12 years.