Women Physicists of Pakistan in Teaching and Research

Abstract

About 40% of Pakistani young women are studying Physics at the university level leading to graduate and postgraduate degrees. Most of these qualified women go to the teaching profession at schools, colleges, or universities. Very few women physicists join research organizations for example, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission; Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, etc. to do further research. It is noticed that they are not able to excel in these fields compared to their male colleagues in the same period. The progress of women is very slow as leaders of Physics in Pakistan. The productive women Physicists are about 10%; the number of the fellows of Pakistan Academy of Sciences is about 5% and national awards/ project winners are less than 6%. The hurdles to achieve the leading role of women Physicists are indicated and the suggestions for improvement are also highlighted.

Keywords: Higher Education, Women Physicists, Research Institutes, Pakistan Academy of Sciences, University level