Union minister of state for science and technology, Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the conference ‘Women Leading Change in Health and Science in India’.

“The conference will highlight and promote the importance of women’s leadership in health and science. It will also seek to identify attainable pathways and goals to strengthen the representation of women in leadership positions in India and global health ecosystem,” said the Ministry of Science and Technology in a press release.

The event will honour and celebrate Indian women and their accomplishments in overcoming unprecedented challenges over the past few years and advancing STEM innovation and healthcare with their indefatigable resilience and unwavering perseverance.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology and Chairperson, BIRAC said that women’s leadership throughout centuries is transformative. “I congratulate all women, and I believe that this is the time we need to empower more women in leadership positions so that India becomes the superpower that the PM dreams of.”

The global healthcare workforce is predominantly women. Yet, they remain underrepresented in leadership and decision-making positions, especially at the higher executive or board levels. “Under-representation in STEM is also one of the major concerns. In India, even though the healthcare workforce participation is somewhat similar between men and women, there are fewer women in leadership roles,” the ministry added.

Bharti Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Melinda French Gates, Co-chair and Trustee Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Amie Batson, Executive Director, WomenLift Health will also address the conference.