Read on Twitter
When science funding bodies raise key topics of gender equity, diversity and inclusion for discussion, it is critical that there be attention to detail and consideration of the voices being given a platform. Otherwise it can badly backfire and alienate URMs. @PrinSciAdvGoI
It was deeply appreciated by several people and groups that highlighted the issues with the original debate topic that it was changed, but the change appears to have been purely cosmetic and restricted to the title.
The topic is an important one and attention to detail in choice of speakers, the sensitivity of handling specific issues and the tone used in discussion are not trivialities - they are critical and are perceived as the voice of the science funding bodies. What is said matters!
When you get it wrong, it sets back progress and it is important to learn from such setbacks. There is a reason why patriarchal mindsets and implicit biases are so deeply entrenched. But there is always room for change and growth.
The first step for this would be an acknowledgement, that a step towards furthering diversity, equity and inclusion might have not served the purpose it was intended for - rather it ended up tone-deaf to the community it was seeking to represent.
When the URMs you are seeking to represent, protest and raise specific issues with the manner in which this debate was conducted, it is a knee-jerk response to get defensive.
The easiest option is to dismiss the points being raised. That does not further the stated goal of science funding bodies which is to facilitate gender equity in science.
Perhaps it is high time for a key debate on whether the manner in which organizations work towards promoting gender equity can actually be the most critical factor in determining whether equity is actually achieved.
There is a great value to commencing change by rolling out implicit bias training across scientific institutions of India. This is the need of the hour and could be a focal agenda for science funding bodies @biaswatchindia @IndiaBioscience @India_Alliance @labhopping
Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion is a key goal for of science funding bodies - implicit bias training (done right) would be the first step towards acknowledgement of the steeped in "explicit and implicit bias" across scientific institutions of our country. @dgcsirIndia
Fact that URMs are keen to engage with senior scientific leadership of this country is because there is hope that things will and can change. No doubt this cannot be resolved on social media - but your attention to these issues is deeply appreciated @PrinSciAdvGoI @dgcsirIndia
