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Creating Role Models: A Call to Action For All Women and Girls

"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:

  1. Textbooks (to normalize women’s contributions in all fields)

  2.  Storybooks (to make female achievements relatable to children)

  3.  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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