P&G India and NITIE host the 3rd edition of the ‘NITIE-P&G Equality & Inclusion Summit’ to advance representation of women in STEM
Students from over 400 STEM institutes joined the conversations on breaking barriers that hold back progress for women in joining and then growing in STEM fields
Mumbai : Procter and Gamble India (P&G India) and National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) today hosted the 2023 edition of the ‘NITIE-P&G Equality & Inclusion Summit’. The one-day summit convened key stakeholders from the government, corporate sector, and academia to deliberate on topics pertaining to advancing gender equality in supply chain and busting myths associated with representation of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers.
The dignitaries included noted leaders like Smita Deorah, Co-founder & Co-CEO, LEAD School; LV Vaidyanathan, MD & CEO, P&G India; Prof. Manoj Tiwari, Director, National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai; Sitaram Kunte, Former Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra; Prof. Vijaya Gupta, Professor, NITIE Mumbai; Srinivas P.M., Head – HR, P&G India including several others.
P&G India and NITIE have continued to come together for this annual event with the aim of sparking conversations on issues that perpetuate a glass ceiling for women, uncover deep-rooted stereotypes that still exist, and motivate change specifically linked to equal representation in STEM and Supply Chain.
This year, the event witnessed insightful panel discussions, thought-inducing fire-side chats, a LinkedIn Masterclass on Supply Chain, and an engaging Gillette Venus Equality Quiz for those tuned in to the event. These discussions touched upon several topics of importance which need focused and continued interventions, including ‘Busting Equality & Inclusion Myths’ and ‘The Role of Allyship in Advancing Inclusion’. Further, during the event, P&G India recognized and awarded P&G Shiksha Betiyan Scholarship to five girl students pursuing STEM courses at NITIE. Launched last year, the Scholarship is part of P&G India’s flagship CSR initiative – P&G Shiksha, where, in partnership with Centre For Civil Society, the Company is working to provide financial aid and mentorship to girls aspiring to pursue STEM education across the country.
Speaking on this occasion, LV Vaidyanathan, MD & CEO, P&G India said, “At P&G, we believe in an equal tomorrow and aspire to create a company and a world where equality and inclusion is achievable for all. Research indicates that more than 40% of STEM graduates in India are women, one of the highest globally. Despite this, women representation in STEM Jobs in India is limited to 14%. The deep rooted on-ground, perception-based and opportunity-linked barriers hold back the advancement of women in STEM roles. One of our unique partnerships with NITIE aims to tackle these biases to pave the way for an equal tomorrow. Now in its 3rd year, the NITIE P&G Equality Summit aims to spark dialogue and conversations that help create a more inclusive and diverse STEM community for the India of tomorrow. This summit not only translates our efforts but also showcase how we, collectively as stakeholders, can accelerate the rate of change.”
Prof. Manoj Tiwari, Director, National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai said, “For the third year in the row, NITIE and P&G have come together for the NITIE P&G Equality & Inclusion Summit. The summit endeavours to encourage conversations around issues that hinder women’s progress, uncovering deep-rooted stereotypes that still exist and discuss possible interventions. At NITIE, we have made deliberate changes in the admissions process to bring more diversity into classrooms. Further, we continue to organize various workshops and seminars led by college’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Cell to create awareness about issues of diversity and inclusion to future managers, including having a compulsory course on gender sensitivity awareness. We are also taking this opportunity to announce ‘Women Professorship’ awards to ten women faculty members at NITIE, to celebrate their commitment and performance, over years.”
This year, the summit has reached over 400 STEM institutes with the important conversations on breaking barriers that hold back progress for women in joining and then growing in STEM fields.