According to the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), “Women who study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields are less likely to enter into STEM careers and exit these careers earlier than male peers.” Especially in developing countries like India, many girls join STEM courses, however, later they do not continue to work in the actual industry. Mostly our socio-economic situation is responsible for such cessations.
According to an earlier report from the World Bank (WB), “As country income rises, gaps between the likelihood of studying STEM between women and men widens. Women in low-income countries are 7 percentage points less likely than men to enroll in tertiary programs in engineering, manufacturing, and construction. In upper-middle-income and high-income countries, the gaps widen to 15 and 17 percentage points, respectively.”
As the global climate is changing rapidly, the scope of expansion of the HVAC-R industry is also widening in equal proportion. This sector holds a lot of promise for the women engineers, scientists and technicians. It is truly appreciable that International Network of Women in Cooling (INWIC) has been relentlessly working to promote women’s participation in the HVAC-R field.
INWIC is an international network of organisations that promotes the role of women in the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump (RACHP) sector, contributes to improving the professional careers of women working or studying in cooling, promotes best practices including those related to the environment, and inspires future generations of women to join this important sector.
The organisation seeks to achieve these objectives through the individual and joint activities of the partner organisations, awareness raising, information sharing, and the provision of an online educational and mentoring platform. It offers several opportunities to its members – and the membership is open to all women working in the Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) sector or studying in relevant disciplines. I feel, Indian women who are associated with the HVAC-R field can join this organization and enrich their global exposure, which will ultimately enrich our domestic HVAC-R industry.
Pravita Iyer
Publisher & Director
