Postscript

We hope that you have enjoyed reading the brief biographies we have compiled here. They are of scientists who played a stellar role in revolutionizing Indian science. Although this list is incomplete, it is also visibly lacking 50% of the population - women. Why?

This was a period of time in which very few women were present in the international arena of science - the Curies, Barbara McClintock, Rosalind Franklin, being some of the more famous exceptions. This was also a period of time in which the gender discrimination in access to education and opportunities was very stark in our country. Through this period of time most women did not have access to institutions of higher learning and laboratories, which prevented and completely isolated them from participation in the scientific revolution.

Without question, women have made substantial progress in science careers over the past 25 years. The number of women, including Indians, in the scientific arena has substantially increased though there is still a lot to do. It is in the hope that mind sets which hold women back start to vanish from science education that we ask you all, students of both sexes, parents and teachers, to take a good hard look at whether each of us contributes to the problem.

Women in Science web-sites: