CSR in Telangana: P&G Scholarship Program aims to increase female representation in STEM roles

P&G India and Centre for Civil Society came together at Haritha Ecological Private ITI in Paloncha to felicitate meritorious students qualifying for the scholarships

KHAMMAM, Telangana (India CSR): Procter and Gamble India (P&G India) recognized and awarded ‘P&G Shiksha Betiyan Scholarships’ to 29 girls pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses at Haritha Ecological Private Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Paloncha, Khammam District, Telangana. Dignitaries present at the event handed over the scholarships to the students.

During the event, the students at the ITI engaged in a workshop on career opportunities for women in STEM and used art and craft to creatively showcase their vision of a dream career in STEM. Further, the students also participated in a group discussion to deliberate upon women’s representation in STEM fields, barriers and myths that contribute to underrepresentation and ways of countering it to enhance representation of women in STEM.

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This marks the first year of P&G Shiksha Betiyan Scholarship Program in Telangana, where 80 girls pursuing STEM courses at ITIs and Engineering Colleges across the state have been awarded with the scholarship. These girls qualified for the scholarship basis merit along with financial challenges.

Shubhrangsu Dutta, Plant Head – Hyderabad Manufacturing Site, P&G India said, “At P&G, our ambition is to create an inclusive world where access to equal opportunities to learn, grow, succeed, and thrive are available to everyone. Data indicates underrepresentation of women in the STEM curriculum, which further translates into underrepresentation in manufacturing, engineering, and technology roles in the workforce. With P&G Shiksha Betiyan Scholarship, our endeavor is to increase female representation in STEM roles, by paving the way for change and facilitating equal access to education, busting barriers and shattering myths that perpetuate a glass-ceiling for women in STEM.”

The ceremony is part of the first-of-its-kind ‘Women In STEM Caravan’ – a multi-city roadshow organized by P&G India together with Centre For Civil Society – that aims to advocate for women’s participation in STEM roles. The roadshow, officially recognized as a part of the G20 events, commenced in New Delhi on February 11, on International Day for Women and Girls in Science, with a high-powered ‘Women in STEM: Policy, Practice & Interventions’ roundtable conference focused on policy provisions, ground realities, role of corporates and direct interventions for advancing women’s representation in STEM opportunities. It then moved to Nalagarh in Himachal Pradesh, where 60 girls pursuing STEM courses were recognized and awarded with the P&G Shiksha Betiyan Scholarship. The roadshow will now move to its concluding destination in Maharashtra.

P&G India in partnership with Centre For Civil Society launched the ‘P&G Shiksha Betiyan Scholarship’ program last year, as part of its flagship CSR initiative P&G Shiksha, to enable STEM careers for girls. Under this program, P&G India is providing financial aid and mentorship to girls aspiring to pursue STEM education. The program has so far supported hundreds of women with the aim of breaking barriers and enabling entry of skilled women professionals into manufacturing, technology, engineering, and other STEM related jobs.

Further, the Company’s skin care brand Olay is working to shrink the gender gap in STEM careers with its ‘STEMTheGap’ initiative, by spotlighting the biases and stereotypes that hold back progress and enabling young girls to get interested and excited by STEM subjects. P&G India also has a long-standing partnership with NITIE and hosts the annual ‘P&G-NITIE Equality Summit’ to spark conversations on issues that perpetuate a glass ceiling for women, uncover deep-rooted stereotypes that still exist, and motivate change specifically linked to equal representation of women STEM and Supply Chain.