India celebrates the genius of Shakuntala Devi, Raman Parimala, and more recently Sujatha Ramdorai. Although their achievements are prolific, they’re part of a rare breed – women mathematicians. There is still a distinct lack of role models for women who want to pursue careers in Mathematics.
According to a study published in the International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science, there was a notable increase in the percentage of women enrolments in B Sc Mathematics. In the year 2020-21, a staggering 65.77 per cent of students were female, as opposed to only 39.97 per cent of men. However, as one progressed to higher education, this ratio flipped. When data for a PhD in Mathematics was analysed for the same year, 56.57 per cent of students were men, as opposed to 43.42 per cent of women. This number further decreased, when women entered the workforce.
But are there enough options for women who want to pursue Maths as a career? ‘The options are diverse and quite lucrative,’ affirms Dr Madhukumar S, Head of the MSc Maths programme at a Bengaluru-based private college. ‘Careers in accountancy and finance are becoming increasingly popular because women can pursue jobs as auditors, tax accountants, financial analysts as well as certain banking roles.’ He adds, ‘I would always advise women with a degree in Mathematics to upskill with a professional course in their chosen specialty, but the foundation is crucial. Another area where women with a Mathematics degree can pursue a career is as an actuary. These are people who evaluate financial risks in a scientific way, and are then able to methodically offer advice on financial investments and economic decisions.’
Dr Madhusudan recommends that most women with a mathematics degree are primed to take up a career in statistics, which is a niche and in-demand area. ‘This involves collecting, interpreting, and analysing data. Most large private and government organisations are involved in the collation and study of quantitative data. I feel women mathematicians are great at understanding, organising and tabulating the results effectively. Of course, there are also a multitude of options in academia such as a lecturer or a research scientist.’
The idea of women in Mathematics isn’t new. Hypatia from ancient Egypt was renowned for her theories and commentaries on various mathematical formulae. Ada Lovelace’s talent for numbers led her to work with Charles Babbage on the initial general-purpose computer. Even Florence Nightingale was a mathematician and statistician, whose methodical work led to healthcare reforms!
So why, then do we face this gap? Institutional biases, gender stereotypes, and the absence of enough role models and mentors are some of the key reasons women decide to shift gears. Several women who are passionate about Mathematics in school and college, eventually move towards allied fields like other STEM subjects, or perhaps Economics and finance.
Professors from Chicago Booth, Columbia Business School, and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, conducted a joint experiment to assess how employers would hire for roles that involved arithmetic, based on gender. The results were disturbing.
According to the Chicago Booth Review, ‘In one experiment, researchers asked 45 male and female subjects to add up as many sets of four two-digit numbers as possible in four minutes. This task was specifically chosen because there is strong evidence that men and women perform it equally well. Subsequently, the researchers designated two subjects from the group, one male and one female, as potential job candidates. They made the rest potential employers, who conducted face-to-face interviews with the two candidates.’
It was found that both male and female employers were twice as likely to hire a man than a woman when the only factor they observed was physical appearance. In another experiment, candidates had the opportunity to tell potential employers how well they expected to do on a second, upcoming arithmetic test. Male candidates tended to inflate their abilities, while female candidates tended to underestimate their abilities. The researchers found bias against women remained.
The Chicago Booth Review concluded, ‘The experiments showed that bad decisions in favour of a male candidate occurred 14 per cent more often than bad decisions in favour of a female candidate, regardless of the scenario. Hiring less-qualified candidates leads to costly consequences for the companies involved, the researchers say.’ This discrimination doesn’t just stop with nabbing the job. Even when jobs are offered to both men and women, female candidates are expected to earn around 19.4 per cent less than their male counterparts.
While a lot is being done to promote gender equity in Mathematics education for women, there also needs to be policy and practice to create equitable job opportunities and provide welcoming and inclusive environments for people of all genders.