"It’s hard to be what we cannot see." – Anonymous Is a Woman: A Global Chronicle of
Gender Inequality
This year, Women’s Day carries more significance than ever. The world seems to be growing
more "masculine," threatening to reverse the small but crucial gains made in gender equality
over the last few decades. Increasing power imbalances, capitalism-driven inequalities, and
escalating violence are overshadowing global aspirations for inclusivity, empathy, and equal
opportunities for all. This is particularly alarming as we mark 30 years since the Beijing
Declaration and stand just five years away from the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
deadline—where SDG 5 (Gender Equality) remains one of the most elusive targets.
Now, more than ever, we must take large-scale, systemic actions to empower the next
generation of women and girls. It is, therefore, apt that Women’s Day 2025’s theme rightly
calls for concrete steps and enabling steps we must all take “For All Women and Girls”.
This also reminded me of a personal commitment I made at TalentNomics India’s Education
for Equity Roundtable a few months ago. When asked to pledge one action to advance
gender equality, I committed to amplifying female role models for young girls because the
most striking insight from that discussion was the lack of female representation of in school
curricula, textbooks, and learning materials.
This Women’s Day, I want to act upon that commitment. So that every girl knows that they
can build technological breakthroughs like Mira Murati, Chief Technology Officer at OpenAI
led the creation of ChatGPT and Ada Lovelace created the first computer algorithm. And I
want every Indian girl to aspire to become a global leader, Indra Nooyi, Gita Gopinath, Leena
Nair and many others.
So first, How Does Limited Exposure to Role Models Shape Girl's Futures?
One significant reason for women’s underrepresentation in the workforce, especially in the
STEM workforce is that their career options remain limited to certain fields due to the lack of
visible and relatable female role models.
A role model is someone whose success, behavior, and journey inspire others. For women,
role models play an even more crucial role in navigating male-dominated spaces,
challenging societal norms, and overcoming systemic barriers.
When girls and young women consider their futures, they often draw inspiration from the
people around them—family members, teachers, community leaders, or public figures. Role
models shape aspirations, build confidence, and foster ambition. However, a lack of
exposure to diverse role models reinforces stereotypes and narrows their perceived
possibilities.
The overrepresentation of women in caregiving roles like teaching or nursing further
entrenches traditional gender norms. And the absence of female engineers, scientists,
politicians, and entrepreneurs in textbooks and media reinforces the stereotype that these
careers are not for women. Without exposure to diverse success stories, girls struggle to
envision themselves in high-achieving roles. This can lead to self-doubt, reduced ambition,
and, ultimately, untapped potential.
For instance, a study of South Asian textbooks found that in Pakistan, Only 16%
of female characters were depicted in social roles, and just 19% in professional
roles. No female characters appeared in illustrations of outdoor activities. In
India, Female representation in textbooks increased from just 7% in 2004 to 30% in 2023,
but disparities persist. And A global review of non-pictorial textbooks across seven South
Asian countries found them among the bottom 10 in gender representation.
There are a few fictional and non-fictional books also that have been written to expose little
children to female role models – a few which are about Indian women achievers as well. But
very few of these make it to school libraries or to reading lists of children. And being written
in English, they have a very narrow reach.
How can Exposure to Role Models Transform Girls’ Aspirations and How can
we do it?
Historically, the lack of women in leadership positions has contributed to the shortage of
visible female role models. Gender stereotypes and media biases have further restricted the
visibility of successful women. Even today, there are no large-scale platforms dedicated to
showcasing women leaders and making them accessible to girls across socio-economic and
regional backgrounds.
Yet, research consistently shows that exposure to role models has a profound impact on
women’s ambitions and career choices. Data shows that role models have the ability to
expand “what is possible” and inspire women to be more ambitious and aim higher. In
fact, research shows the number of girls interested in STEM almost doubles when they have
role models (41%) compared to those who do not (26%). Girls with role models are also more
passionate about STEM subjects and are 15% more likely able to imagine themselves working
in one of the STEM disciplines. Another study showed that a female professor increases the
chance of female students choosing a specialization in STEM subjects.
Call to Action : Let Us Address the Gender Bias in Representation
There are several ways in which we can address the biases in education and also expose
young girls to role models - many of which are outlined in TalentNomics India’s recent
report. For now, I am particularly committed to building an initiative that makes female role
models more visible to young and impressionable girls.
So these are some steps that we propose to take – and the ways in which anyone
who resonates with our initiative can participate and take this forward
Step 1 - Research & Data Collection
We would like to crowdsource inputs from all stakeholders on the following, via this
1. Point our biases you come across in text books and story books your children. I
looked at my child’s science book and found the following
2. Help us create a database of female role models for Indian girls from various fields,
who have been pioneers, successful leaders, and created diverse personal and
professional trajectories for themselves. Think about female role models who should
be highlighted, then add her to our list.
3. Give us references to children’s storybooks about female role models that you found
inspirational.
You can provide all these via this Google form, or you can also create a social media post
and tag TalentNomics India
Step 2: Creating an Accessible Database
We will publish a summary of the text book biases that we crowdsourced
We will also develop a searchable database featuring structured profiles of female
role models.
Step3: Partnering to Fill the Role Model Gap
We will collaborate with educational institutions, publishers, and NGOs to integrate our
inputs into:
Textbooks (to normalize women’s contributions in all fields)
Storybooks (to make female achievements relatable to children)
Interactive Flashcard Games (to introduce young learners to
inspiring women in an engaging way)
If you relate to this, then do join the initiative.
We welcome anyone who wants to contribute—whether by giving us inputs or supporting
partnerships to implement the findings.
By making female role models visible, we can help young girls dream bigger, aim higher, and
break barriers. Representation isn’t just about visibility—it’s about possibility. Let’s create a
future where every girl sees herself as a leader, innovator, and changemaker.
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