Abstract:
The Working Group for Gender Equity (WGGE) was formally constituted under the Astronomical Society of
India (ASI) in 2015 to increase awareness about gender-related issues in the astrophysics community. The current WGGE
comprises eight astrophysicists from different institutes and universities across India. The WGGE organizes the Anna Mani
memorial lectures on gender sensitization, which include practitioners from other disciplines in the discourse. These
lectures have included eminent speakers who are science historians, philosophers of science, science journalists, social
scientists and natural scientists. The WGGE carries out gender audits of Indian research institutes and conducts regular
surveys of ASI members and participants via questionnaires. Gender sensitization sessions by the WGGE, including open
discussion and feedback from the ASI participants and the availability of subsidized childcare, are now integral to the
annual ASI meetings. 33% of the invited speakers and session chairs at these meetings are now women.
