Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has launched a fellowship for women scholars pursuing doctoral programmes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to foster gender diversity in the field of STEM, the FMCG major said in a statement on November 28.
The inaugural HUL Women in STEM Fellowship, given out in collaboration with Indian Institute of Science (IISc), was awarded to five scientists from the Bengaluru-based institute during a ceremony at the city’s HUL & Unilever R&D Centre.
In India, for every woman STEM scientist there are six males, with women getting a mere 16 percent representation in such jobs. HUL STEM Fellowship aims to address this gender imbalance by providing financial support and mentorship to women pursuing STEM PhD programmes.
The under-representation of women in STEM careers was a challenge that must be confronted head on, Rohit Jawa, CEO & Managing Director, HUL, said.
“Today, in our own R&D team across three centres in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Gurugram, we have women in more than 50 percent of the management roles. We believe this multi-year fellowship will serve as a catalyst for transformative change, inspiring the next generation of top Indian women scientists, engineers, and innovators,” Jawa said.
The event featured a panel of distinguished women leaders in STEM from across the country who shared insights into the challenges faced by women, offering their personal journeys as inspiration to the fellows and attendees, the company said.
The recipients were picked after a rigorous process overseen by a panel of eminent academicians at IISc. Fellows were evaluated on research proposals, academic achievements, and research impact. The financial award, equivalent to the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship, supports the entire five-year PhD programme, the company said.
The fellowship goes beyond financial support, offering access to senior mentors from Unilever and HUL's external ecosystem.
“We are grateful to HUL for their efforts to build a future where every aspiring scientist, engineer, and innovator finds the support and opportunities they need. We believe this fellowship will serve as a catalyst for positive change, inspiring the next generation of women scientists and engineers,” IISc director Prof G Rangarajan said.
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