India ranks third in the rate of growth for women researchers, according to a report from Elsevier, a leading scientific information provider. Despite this achievement, the report highlights that global gender equality in research remains significantly distant. Over the past decade, India has seen a two percent annual increase in the proportion of women among active researchers, placing it behind only Egypt and The Netherlands. The report, titled “Progress Towards Gender Equality in Research and Innovation – 2024 Review,” indicates that women now comprise 33 percent of active researchers in India, compared to 22 percent in Japan and 30 percent in Egypt. Additionally, India is recognized as the third largest producer of research globally.
Professor Sandeep Sancheti, Vice President of Research Relations & Academic Affairs at Elsevier India, remarked that India’s swift increase in women researchers reflects the country’s ongoing efforts toward gender equity in academia. However, he acknowledged that significant challenges remain in achieving a fully inclusive academic environment. The report found that gender parity (defined as 40-60 percent representation) was reached in the health sciences in 2022, with women constituting 41 percent of active researchers. In life sciences, parity was achieved a year earlier, with women representing 43 percent of researchers by 2022.
Globally, the report revealed that women accounted for 41 percent of active researchers as of 2022, with strong representation in the health sciences. However, progress has not been uniform across all fields. For instance, women made up only 33 percent of researchers in the physical sciences. The authors projected that, at the current rate, global gender parity in research is unlikely to be achieved before 2052. Furthermore, the report noted a significant gender gap in patent applications, with men or male-dominated teams filing the majority of these applications. Only three percent of patent applications in 2022 were submitted by teams consisting solely of women.
The report also highlighted regional disparities in women’s participation in the research workforce. Countries like Portugal and Brazil have nearly half of their active researchers being women, while the United States and the United Kingdom have about 40 percent. Among researchers working on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, women were found to be in the majority. Women also led in multidisciplinary research, which is crucial for addressing complex global challenges.
To accelerate progress towards gender equality in research, the report’s authors recommended increasing efforts to retain early-stage women researchers as they advance in their careers. This includes addressing the drop-off in women’s participation at higher career stages to ensure more balanced representation across all levels of research.
