Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

The Astronomical Society of India (ASI) is the first professional society in Asia to constitute a committee, Working Group for Gender Equity (WGGE), to work for gender equity and address relevant issues within the Astronomy and Astrophysics community of India. Since its inception, WGGE has organised annual sessions to raise awareness in the community and highlight the hindrances faced by women researchers. It was noted that the continuing gap between the fraction of Ph. D. women students and women faculties members remains a cause for concern. WGGE stresses the monitoring of gender statistics routinely and should be collected from various astronomy research institutions and universities across the country which can guide the way for a more diverse and inclusive environment. In this talk I will present the activities of WGGE and how this is changing the perspective of the community.

Biography:

Astronomer at the Aryabhatta Research Institute of observational sciencES (ARIES) located in the picturesque Himalayan range in India. Primary research interest in high energy extragalactic transients such as Gamma Ray Bursts, Supernovae, Electromagnetic counterparts of Gravitational Waves. I spend a lot of time with my students and mentor them on different aspects of research as well as life. I have a strong inclination towards gender sensitisation in science and I am a part of the Working Group of Gender Equity (under the Astronomical Society of India) and public outreach.