More and more girls are taking to engineering studies these days. The enrolment of girls in technical institutes in the country has gone up from 22 percent in 2002 to 125 percent this year, with most preferring system engineering and information and communication, says a survey conducted by ASSOCHAM.The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India (ASSOCHAM), says the emergence of the knowledge economy has motivated more girls to acquire engineering skills.
The survey was carried out under the Social Development Foundation on “Rising Trend of Women towards the Technical Education” and covered over 20 engineering schools, including the National Institutes of Technology (NITs).
Their views were sought and it was discovered that females’ participation in acquiring engineering skills since 2002 onwards was more towards system engineering followed by information and communication, environmental and electrical engineering.
However, aerospace and material engineering are not preferred by women in India. According to Assocham president Sajjan Jindal, women have been bettering their male counterparts in system engineering.
The survey says 90 percent of women engineers are motivated by their academic performance and 71 percent for career as well as good salary prospects that influence them to opt for engineering.
However, in case of men, 79 percent of them opt for engineering by their academic performance as well as challenges that the work brings in.
The survey points out that 71 percent of male engineers take active part in corporate management but hardly 29 percent of women get involved in management activities.
The survey says 55 percent of men and 26 percent of female engineers feel they are equally treated in their organization.
The survey also says that most of the women engineers consult their parents, especially father, in order to pursue a career in engineering. The impact of parents on women (86 percent) is stronger than on men (24 percent).
