Globally, women represent 26% of the STEM students. India, however, boasts an impressive 43% of women graduating in those fields. So, why is there only a dire 14% of them eventually becoming part of the STEM workforce?

For the second iteration of #STEMTheGap initiative, we looked into the reasons leading to this unacceptable drop right after graduation and during early career.

After conducting our own research with Indian female scientists, we realised that the lack of prominent female role models and mentors was the main culprit for the issue.

There was an urgent need to shed light on the glaring absence of STEM female mentors and role models in India today. We wanted to showcase role models and build a network of mentors to inspire the next generation of Indian women to stay in their STEM careers.

While India has the highest female STEM graduates at 43%, only 14% stay in their fields. Why? Lack of female role models and mentors.

Instead, they’re bombarded by cultural and gender bias and tremendous family expectations. So to #StemTheGap, Olay gathered the voices of top female scientists in India, their real-life experiences and 500+ pages of data, and created AI-SHU.

AI-SHU is a web-based chat mentor that offers invaluable guidance to Indian women pursuing STEM careers. AI-SHU is unique because she is AI combined with real-life wisdom and practical advice.

We also partnered with vLookUp and LEAD Schools to connect women with mentors. Finally, we created a ground-breaking film about 5 iconic Indian women. It garnered 3.2M views in 48 hours and over 23M+ views to date.

In a time when women are always hearing that they can’t, here’s the collective voice of great women telling them that they can.

When a woman makes it in STEM in India, it is a testament to her grit and tenacity, as very few India women have reached the level they have. Their stories, experiences, and life lessons will undoubtedly inspire the younger generation of Indian women.

So, we set out to celebrate the stories of the greatest minds among Indian female STEM scientists of the past to be a voice of inspiration to encourage more to stay in their respective STEM fields.

We made it a springboard to connect with leading female STEM scientists of today to mentor, advise and guide the next generation.

The combined efforts would draw upon thousands of different experiences and give personalized counsel to keep girls on the path to realizing their STEM dreams.

The campaign was a three-pronged approach to give role models (through the film) and access to mentors (AI & vLookup). It harnesses the power of past and present-day scientists’ collective experiences to inspire the next generation of Indian women to stay in STEM.

Our film delves into India's rich history of remarkable women in STEM and pays homage to the legacies of luminaries like Dr. Anandibai Joshi and Kamala Sohonie.

The AI-SHU virtual mentor was concurrently launched as a beta version of a web-based virtual chat mentor to provide mentorship for women in STEM. Built from the collective experiences of women in different STEM fields such as Shannon Olsson, Swarna Manjari, to provide the user with knowledge, resources, and encouragement on their journeys.

The AI could then connect to Olay x vLookup’s platform, on which women can connect with mentors who volunteered to advise them on their STEM life.

The campaign has successfully raised the bar for Olay’s brand engagement, creating 270MM PR impressions. The digital film garnered 3.2M views within the first 48hours upon launch, hitting 33MM views with 45% View-through rate till date. The video garnered positive reviews, inspiring women in STEM in India.

Quoting some a netizen from YouTube -

@becreativewithpranjali3012 “I'm 15 and my 10th boards are coming ahead ........not gonna lie..but whenever I feel unsupportive, demotivated and anxious...I always watch THIS Video.....this always reminds me that women are neglected and half of the intelligence is not seen in the development of country....I always cry when I watch this video...love this video. Jai Hind.”

Till date, the digital film continues to recruit users to engage with AI-SHU, keeping the momentum to increase access to STEM mentorship for all aspiring young women pursuing a career in STEM.