Write a short summary of what happens in the film

We created a hard-hitting film that showcases different scenarios across the country, in different languages, where girls who show an interest in STEM are on the receiving end of the bias. It poignantly narrates examples of a girl who is told to not do a task only because her clothes might get dirty, a teacher assuming that a science project was done by a male peer, or a young girl encouraged to dress up as a princess rather than her preference of a robot. We witness the children discouraged only because they are… girls. Through this film, we made young women in India the center of change to end gender inequality in the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) by shining a mirror on people (especially those close to them) that propagate gender biases and stereotypes down generations.

Please tell us about the social behaviour that inspired the work

Indian women make up only 14% of the workforce in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Rooted in cultural barriers and stereotypical gender roles, Indian women are often stereotyped as caregivers or homemakers and restricted in their fields of study to teaching, nursing, fine arts, and home economics amongst the like. These biases often slip out unconsciously in the everyday language that even the most well-meaning of us use. The truth is it’s our everyday social behavior and language that’s part of the problem, and we are not even aware of it. This led us to ‘OLAY #StemtheGap’ – a movement for deep social change that speaks especially to people closest to young, impressionable girls; shining a mirror on societal inequalities in general and gender bias specifically showed them that they have the power to put a stop to the cycle of inequality in STEM by ending their bias.