IEEE WiSE Project Empowers Girls in India to Pursue STEM

IEEE Fellows Rajiv Joshi and Rajesh Zele launched the Women in Science, Engineering (WiSE) project in India to combat declining rates of girls pursuing STEM education, particularly in rural areas. Recognizing that talent exists everywhere but opportunity doesn’t, the pair secured an $80,000 grant to create a five-day, hands-on learning program hosted at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

From 2023 to 2024, WiSE brought together cohorts of 160 to 200 girls from Maharashtra and Karnataka for intensive workshops focused on building and programming. The program also featured presentations from successful Indian women in STEM fields, dubbed “Winspirers”, to serve as role models.

While formal data is still being collected, initial feedback indicates the program has boosted participants’ confidence and encouraged them to continue their education. IEEE chapters in Bangalore and Kerala are already adapting the WiSE framework for their own regions, and Joshi and Zele hope to expand the initiative internationally.