Last Updated: December 1, 2024
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity within its academic community. One significant initiative in this pursuit is encouraging and promoting women’s applications in underrepresented subjects. Historically, fields such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) have seen a gender imbalance. By actively encouraging and facilitating women’s applications in these subjects, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham aims to bridge this gap and create a more balanced, representative learning environment.
Direct tools like University outreach and collaboration, online women forum, women students’ testimonies are currently implemented as well as indirect tools like active communication on existing Amrita field projects tackling this issue and research on the root cause of women’s under-representation.
“In India, according to the World Bank data, nearly 43%of STEM graduates are women, as opposed to other developed nations like the United States, Canada, and the UK, where there are fewer women – 34%, 31%, and 38%, respectively – studying STEM at the tertiary level
It is one of the highest in the world albeit there is only 14% of scientists, engineers, and technologists in research development institutions and universities”. (Economic Times 8 March 2022).”
Through university outreach, and collaboration at regional and national with the government, industry partners, and NGOs, Amrita is actively addressing the under-representation of women applicants in STEM.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham organized, in collaboration with ICPC Foundation, ICPC AlgoQueen 2024, a coding competition exclusively for women students. While boys were permitted to participate, they were not eligible for prizes. This approach created a dedicated and supportive platform for girls to develop coding confidence, collaborate with peers, and showcase their skills in an environment that actively addresses the underrepresentation of women in STEM. By making coding accessible and engaging, the initiative demonstrates to young women that programming is both a valuable career skill and an enjoyable pursuit.
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In 2024, The School of Social and Behavioural Sciences and its research centre Ammachilabs organized a series of workshops (12 in total) aimed at promoting STEM education among school children, encouraging girls to participate. These efforts saw the participation of 292 schoolgirls, representing 57% of the student participants.
The workshops covered a variety of themes and initiatives to foster technical skills and innovation.
These initiatives collectively empowered girls and young women by providing them with the tools and confidence to excel in STEM fields, contributing to a more equitable future in technology and innovation.
The Second Foundation Workshops aimed to teach 21st-century skills, focusing on game development, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D Modeling. Conducted in schools across rural India, these workshops emphasized hands-on, practical learning in a peer-to-peer environment.
Since end 2023, The Second Foundation from Ammachilabs conducted a series of impactful technology workshops across Tamil Nadu. Covering campuses from Amrita Vidyalayam Kanyakumari to AV Puducherry and AV Nallampalayam, the initiative aimed to equip students with essential skills in emerging technology domains.
For the year 2024 only, over the course of eight workshops, 113 female students participated in the program out of a total of 176 students, accounting for 65% of the total enrollment.
The students’ passion and curiosity shone brightly as they engaged with the tools and concepts that drive modern technology. Their enthusiasm and commitment to learning were a source of inspiration for everyone involved.
In India’s dynamic educational landscape, there is a pressing need to equip students and teachers with digital-age skills, knowledge, and mindset.
To address this, the project “Transforming Education in India: Empowering Students and Teachers for the Digital Age” was launched in 2024, uniting two complementary workshops.
Workshop 1: Technology and Entrepreneurship for Children
An 8-day program comprising 5 days of skill training, 2 days of entrepreneurship education, and a 1-day Makeathon.
It nurtures innovation, problem-solving, and confidence, enabling children from rural and semi-urban schools to become both consumers and creators of technology.
Workshop 2: Ed-Tech and Generative AI for Students and Teachers
An 8-day program combining 5 days of skill training, 2 days of Generative AI, and 1 day of project development.
It strengthens digital literacy, Ed-Tech proficiency, and responsible technology use, fostering a culture of lifelong learning.
Together, these initiatives promote inclusivity, innovation, and adaptability across diverse communities.
They aim to bridge the digital divide, empower individuals as drivers of innovation, and create a future where learning knows no boundaries.
In 2024, 151 female students participated in the program out of a total of 281 students, accounting for 54% of the total enrollment.
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She STEM is a transformative initiative aimed at empowering young girls to explore, engage, and excel in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The program seeks to address the gender gap in STEM education and careers by providing mentorship, resources, and opportunities for girls to innovate and showcase their talents.
By fostering curiosity and confidence, She STEM equips participants with skills to tackle real-world challenges, promotes inclusivity, and inspires the next generation of women leaders in technology and science. Often integrated with platforms like the Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) and other innovation-driven initiatives, She STEM creates a supportive ecosystem where young minds can thrive and break barriers in STEM fields.
In 2024, 28 girl students from Amrita Vidyalayam participated in the project and presented their ideas through practical demonstrations. Their innovations included bio-based battery electrodes, sustainable energy solutions for villages, conversion of plastic waste into fuel, and solar-powered chargers.
ShaktiCon, one of India’s leading cybersecurity conferences dedicated to empowering women in the field, was conducted by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. More than 2,300 registrants from 45 countries took part in the dual events of ShaktiCTF ethical hacking contest and Shakticon conference.
This is the third edition of the conference and hackathon exclusively for women. The gatherings brought together industry experts, thought leaders for Government and International forums, and enthusiasts to foster knowledge sharing, networking, and empowerment within the cybersecurity community.
“As our Chancellor, it was Amma’s vision to promote diversity and inclusion that resulted in ShaktiCon & ShaktiCTF, two platforms for women to showcase their expertise, share insights, and advance their careers in the rapidly evolving field of cybersecurity,” said Dr P Venkat Rangan, Amrita’s Vice Chancellor.
ShaktiCTF is a cybersecurity ethical hacking contest just for women. It was conducted over a span of 4 months and in three rounds preceding the ShaktiCon conference. One of the highlights of the conference was the stellar lineup of speakers from seven countries, including Germany, Egypt, Israel, USA, South Korea, Denmark and India. They inspired and empowered attendees with their expertise and experiences.
Our objective is to train a new generation of women to be more actively engaged in the field and enter the cybersecurity workforce. ShaktiCon is all about women role models inspiring and encouraging young and aspiring women hackers to attain their goals without any fear.
December 10, 2024: he GenAI x Gender Hackathon 202425 was inaugurated on November 30th as part of the International Conference on Gender and Technology 2025 (amrita.link/icgt).
The keynote speakers, Professor Kamal Bijlani and Hanae Bezad, delivered insights on AI innovation and its transformative impact on gender equity and equality. With over 70 participants joining virtually from around the world, the event provided a platform for learning, collaboration, and exposure to cutting-edge technological applications.
The hackathon demonstrated how technology can be harnessed for positive social change, offering participants practical experience in problem-solving and innovation. Such initiatives serve to inspire women applicants to explore opportunities in STEM fields and consider leadership roles in technology-driven projects.
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Read more 3 (Scroll down to see the events in Dec 2024)
The Amrita Gender Harmony workshop was created to promote gender equality across the institution by equipping students, teachers, and administrators with tools to recognize and overcome biases. This initiative was started because we realized that despite having a higher enrollment of female students, very few of them pursue careers as practicing dentists upon course completion, with their male counterparts often outnumbering them and earning better salaries.
The proposed course is a semester-long program. It uses participatory sessions, reflection, and group discussion to foster awareness and real-world action.
After initial teacher training in July 2022, the first student workshop took place in October 2023 with 29 undergraduate participants from the Dental School at Kochi campus.
Building on this, in March 2024, the Center for Women’s Empowerment & Gender Equality organized a special workshop for over 40 second-year Dental students, commemorating International Women’s Day. The sessions addressed gender stereotypes in the Indian context and introduced the DA-DA-DA principle—Daya (Compassion), Danam (Charity), and Damam (Self-Control)—as a framework for nurturing gender harmony in daily life.
Read more 2024
Online women forums and thematic videos with women experts and Amrita women faculty who succeeded in their field serve as compelling inspirations. These videos showcase the extraordinary accomplishments of women, igniting motivation in prospective applicants to break barriers and embrace these fields under-represented by women confidently.
At Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, we recognize that the experiences and achievements of our women students are powerful testaments to the transformative power of education. Hearing the voices of our women students in STEM, their challenges, success, and the opportunities they’ve embraced, is invaluable for prospective applicants aspiring to join Amrita for higher studies.
Below are some examples of online testimonies:
In September 2022, Amrita’s UNESCO Chair and the Center for Women’s Empowerment collaborated with UNESCO to publish The Braided River, addressing barriers for women in science in India.
In 2023, as part of the Civil20 India Working Group on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Amrita Vishwa VIdyapeetham established a dedicated subgroup on skills and education, with a focus on STEM, and collaborated with hundreds of civil society organizations to develop robust policy recommendations aimed at reducing gender inequality in higher education. Insights from the “Braided River” findings contributed to the formulation of these recommendations.
The policy proposals were submitted to the C20 Summit in Jaipur on July 31, 2023.
Read more (pages 21 to 61 on education and skill development, including STEM initiatives)
These recommendations were given to the G20 leaders as part of the C20 Policy Pack
According to World Bank data, Indian women represented 12.7% of those employed in senior and middle management roles in 2023. The BT-MDRA Survey 2022 reported that female students represented 34.5% of entrants in the country’s top 25 management schools for the 2021-22 academic year. Additionally, women constituted 27.5% of graduates in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and veterinary programs at the tertiary level, as per World Bank data.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham systematically communicates about major field projects related to women’s empowerment and gender equality contracted with prominent governmental and private institutions. Managed by faculty and students, these projects aim to inspire students to explore underrepresented fields and pursue related career paths. Below is an overview of some active Amrita projects from July 2023 to December 2024.
In January 2023, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, through the Centre for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality (CWEGE), launched the Seaweed Cultivation Training Project to empower women and women’s groups through an integrated vocational training approach. The initiative promotes sustainable livelihoods while addressing economic and environmental challenges. Seaweed, a versatile marine resource used in food, agriculture, and biofuels, offers rural women the knowledge and skills to establish farming and processing enterprises, contributing to both economic growth and environmental sustainability.
The initiative has successfully trained 64 women (40 in 2023, 24 in 2024) in sustainable seaweed farming, providing them with the necessary skills and tools for cultivation.
In November 2023, 19 MSW students, together with CWEGE staff, conducted community engagement activities in Thiruppalaikkudi, meeting public, municipal, and healthcare stakeholders to assess local needs. They organized three events in the village: a health and hygiene awareness program, a cleanup drive, and the planting of a sacred tree by the village head.
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In 2024, Amrita launched the next phase of its seaweed initiative, “Blue is the New Pink: Women Driving Sustainable Seaweed Cultivation and Climate Solutions”, funded by the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) Operational Phase 7 and implemented with UNDP, the Ministry of Environment, TERI, ESRI, and Transworld Group. This phase aims at empowering 100 women from coastal communities in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, providing training in seaweed cultivation, seagrass restoration, and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), supporting both socio-economic development and marine ecosystem preservation.
The 2024 phase of “Blue is the New Pink” was complemented by the “Harmonising Livelihoods for Dugong Conservation” project, led by Amrita and Surabhi Foundation with UNESCO India support. Together, they empower coastal women while promoting seaweed cultivation, seagrass restoration, and Dugong conservation, linking livelihoods with marine ecosystem preservation.
On November 15, 2024, the workshop “Empowering Women for Blue Growth” was held at Amritapuri campus. International experts, policymakers, local stakeholders, CWEGE staff, and several PhD women students participated. Insights from Japan, Indonesia, Israel, and India were shared on sustainable marine practices, seaweed cultivation, and IMTA, emphasizing women-led, climate-resilient strategies for marine biodiversity conservation and reinforcing Amrita’s commitment to empowering coastal communities.
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On November 8, 2024, as part of the “Harmonising Livelihoods for Dugong Conservation” project, 60 students from Amrita’s Department of Social Sciences conducted a field study in two villages, actively engaging in data collection, community interaction, and preliminary analysis.
They also organized a 1.5 km beach cleanup at Kodiakara Beach in Manamelkudi, joined by local leaders and community members. Participants pledged to conserve the ocean and its species while painting awareness messages about Dugongs and seagrass, fostering environmental stewardship and a shared sense of responsibility for marine ecosystem preservation.
The WADI project is an ideal model for developing community independence, including women, and resilience in isolated tribal areas. Throughout India, Indigenous Peoples live disconnected from mainstream culture and survive through their traditional ways. However due to environmental destruction, many now face serious issues such as endemic poverty and lack of essential resources—even food and water.
Under the WADI project, the Center for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality and School of Social and Behavioural Sciences students work with farmers and landless people of tribal communities in the Hindol Block of Dhenkanal District, Odisha. The poorest of the poor from the villages are the prime recipients. WADI also promotes the participation of women in all sorts of activities and encourages them to actively participate in decision-making processes.
The project strengthens sustainable income generation by developing agri-horti-forestry on small underutilized plots and wastelands through fruit, forestry, and agricultural interventions, supported by modern technologies.
Currently, the WADI project benefits 257 farmers across six villages—Asanbania, Bramhaniapal, Gobardhanpur, Kanka, Kharmul, and Tantichira—covering 212 acres. In addition, 288 women from 12 villages are supported through a goat-rearing initiative that provides goats and sheds for landless families.
Trained community leaders oversee plantation, sapling care, and water resource development, maintaining records and payments to foster collective ownership. Together, these efforts build sustainable livelihoods, skills, and confidence within the community.
The impact is visible in the voices from the field:
“Before, our land gave little. Now with intercropping, we eat better and earn more.” — Asha, Farmer, Tantichira
“I never thought I could monitor plant health with a phone. This app makes me feel proud and in control.” — Basant, Community Resource Person, Bramhaniapal
Supported by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
In November 2023, several Amrita Social Work students went to Tentichira village in Odisha on different occasions to actively contribute to the implementation of the project, along with local communities.
Read more (WADI)
On March 21st, 2024, the Dean of the School of Social and Behavioural Sciences Dr. Rao’s field visit, she met with the WADI groups in Brahmaniapal, Kharmul and Tantichira.
As well as holding discussions with the beneficiaries of each village, Dr. Rao attended the auspicious inauguration and digging of a new borewell at the Tantichira WADI area, bringing forth water and nourishment.
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As part of the RISE program at the University of Arizona, Sharon Danjuma, a Human Rights Practice student undertook a three-week field project in Kerala with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Center for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality. The initiative focused on supporting the Blossoms Center, a women-led Self-Help Group (SHG) engaged in tailoring and stitching. Upon finding that the group’s operations had been disrupted by monsoon damage, the student redirected her project from business scaling to recovery and capacity building.
She developed a six-week training curriculum on financial literacy, problem-solving, marketing, and digital skills to strengthen women’s entrepreneurial and leadership capacities. The material, refined upon her return to the U.S., is now applied to community development projects in New Orleans.
Her experience illustrates how immersive fieldwork can cultivate resilience, adaptability, and empathy—qualities essential for future women leaders. The women’s collective strength and optimism, despite adversity, offered a powerful lesson in social innovation and inclusive empowerment for all students.
Two other students from the University of Arizona, Don and Donaven, also participated in the program. They interacted with our MSW students and women from the SANKALP project, engaging in similar community initiatives. Both described the experience as transformative—not only for their professional growth but also for their personal development.
Since 2011, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, in partnership with Visió Sense Fronteres, has conducted over 9,350 cataract surgeries and distributed 36,850 eyeglasses across Africa.
Eye conditions in these regions are disproportionately prevalent due to factors such as dietary deficiencies, intense UV exposure near the equator, poor sanitation exacerbated by drought, and a critical shortage of eye care professionals.
This initiative addresses vision challenges for patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly, with a focus on reaching women who often face barriers to accessing healthcare. By restoring sight, it transforms lives—enabling individuals to regain independence, pursue livelihoods, and actively engage in their communities.
In 2022 and 2023, interventions expanded to Kenya, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Mozambique, demonstrating the program’s commitment to alleviating preventable blindness in underserved regions. Building on these achievements, October 2024 marked a new phase of targeted efforts to strengthen community eye health.
In Samburu County, Kenya, 27 healthcare volunteers, including women, were trained in essential eye care practices. Each volunteer now serves as a vital resource within their community, supporting approximately 100 households. With an average household comprising 10 to 15 family members, this initiative creates a ripple effect, ensuring sustainable, long-term improvements in vision care.
The School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, through its research centres AMMACHI Labs and the Centre for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality, has been actively involved in relief and rehabilitation efforts following the devastating landslide that hit Wayanad in July 2024.
From 31st October to 10th November 2024, a group of 30 MSW students (22 women and 8 men) from the Amritapuri campus conducted a post-disaster livelihood needs assessment in the landslide-affected regions of Wayanad, Kerala. The project aimed to understand the economic and mental well-being of displaced communities and identify sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Using a mixed-method, cross-sectional design, the team carried out community mapping, household surveys, and focus group discussions with affected families, local leaders, and NGO representatives. During this period, the team conducted 615 household surveys, 517 mental health surveys, and 220 landslide surveys.
The study explored livelihood challenges, market access, and the psychological impacts of displacement. Findings from the project helped design targeted interventions and policy recommendations to support long-term recovery and resilience in Wayanad’s disaster-affected communities.
On December 13th, 2024, the Amrita Sustainable Livelihood & Disaster Resilience Program launched its new Skill Development Training Center at Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Meppadi
The Phase 1 included 60 women trainees in tailoring and 30 in computer skills. This initiative paved the way for new livelihood and trade opportunities.
The Amrita School of Social and Behavioural Sciences also implements additional initiatives supporting women and transgender individuals in underrepresented sectors, such as beekeeping, seaweed cultivation, and rural entrepreneurship. These projects not only promote skill development and sustainable livelihoods but also inspire students to engage with and contribute to these areas.
In 2023, the Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, was appointed Chair of Civil20 India, the official Engagement Group of G20 India focusing on civil society. Through Civil20, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham collaborated with over 6,000 civil society organizations and participants from 154 countries, developing policy recommendations across various fields, including education and support for underrepresented areas.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham submitted a policy pack at the C20 Summit in Jaipur on July 31, 2023, containing its policy recommendations. Several of these recommendations were adopted by the G20. Parents and students can review them to understand Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s commitment to these crucial initiatives. Below are examples of some key recommendations:
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