India-UK Launch Groundbreaking Women in Space Leadership Programme

India and the UK have inaugurated the Women in Space Leadership Programme to create a gender-inclusive environment in space sciences. The programme aims to build leadership frameworks, mentoring networks, and integrate gender perspectives into key scientific sectors. It will support 250 early career researchers in overcoming gender biases and barriers.

India and the UK have launched a pivotal Women in Space Leadership Programme (WiSLP), aiming to foster a gender-inclusive atmosphere in space sciences.

The initiative, driven by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with the British Council under the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI), focuses on empowering institutions to implement gender-inclusive practices in space sciences through a strategic leadership framework. 'By building a robust leadership framework, we can empower women to contribute meaningfully to scientific research and innovation,' stated Dr Vandana Singh, Head of the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)-KIRAN division at DST.

The programme aims to build sustainable mentoring networks and enhance scientific innovation by incorporating a gender perspective into critical fields such as astrophysics and telecommunications. It will support 250 early career researchers in overcoming gender biases and barriers. The programme also includes networking, awareness-building, and peer-to-peer mentoring mechanisms.

Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) Director Annapurni Subramaniam urged women to engage early in the increasingly diverse field of space science, while British Council India Deputy Director Michael Houlgate highlighted the significance of collaboration in addressing global challenges and increasing women's representation in STEM fields.

UKIERI has facilitated over 25,000 academic exchanges among 4,500 educational institutions, strengthening collaboration between India and the UK across research and industry sectors.

(With inputs from agencies.)