Currently 15% of DRDO’s employees are women
Gender does not weigh on Science the proof are women scientists leading missions from the front line, says Dr Tessy Thomas
Hyderabad: In late 1980’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the R&D wing of Ministry of Defence had only one to two per cent of women employees. In the last 36 years the percentage of women employees has increased to 12 to 15 per cent, said the missile woman of India.
Speaking at ‘Stellar Journeys,’ a session hosted by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) for its members, former project director for Agni-IV missile at DRDO, Dr Tessy Thomas said, ‘When I joined DRDO (1988) several years ago, we just had one or two per cent women working here. Now things have changed. We 12 to 15 per cent of the workforce are women. Women scientists are leading from the front.’
Dr Thomas and Dr Kalpana Kalahasti, a Scientist and Electronics and Communication engineer with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) were in conversation with Priya Gazdar, Chairperson, FLO.
Addressing over 100 members, Dr Thomas informed that the system is slowly evolving as “Science has no gender. What matters is knowledge, talent, capability, positive attitude and commitment, not gender. Be it at ISRO or DRDO, both men and women are working together for a common objective.”
On a question about the prospects of colonisation on the moon Dr Kalahasti, who put India on the moon, said that the smooth landing of the satellite under Chandrayaan-3 mission was the first step towards colonisation. ‘Firstly we will study moon, land there and establish a base, then follows space tourism or colonisation. We are in the right direction to achieve just that,’ she pointed out.
On Chandrayaan-3’s success Dr Kalahasti said that it was culmination of teamwork. ‘While women scientists and engineers have been contributing to every ISRO project, men and women have played equal roles in the success of the mission. It was a team effort.’
