Two Women Scientists get National Award

Two women scientists have been selected for the National Award for Women's Development Through Application of Science and Technology for the year 2004. They are Dr.(Mrs.) K. Seethalakshmi and Dr.(Ms.) Mira Shiva.

Dr.(Mrs.) K. Seethalakshmi of Tree Physiology Sustainable National and Plantation Forest Management Division of Kerela Forest Research Institute, Kerela, has been selected for the award in recognition of her outstanding contribution over the last two and half decades for development and value addition of bamboo resources, leading to empowerment of women at the grass root level. She has focused her contributions to adaptations of technology packages suitable for use by rural women, large scale lab to land technology transfer for popularizing the technology and encouraging entrepreneurship development based on bamboo resources, thereby enabling a collective change in the life of rural women.

Dr.(Ms.) Mira Shiva of Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), Delhi, in recognition of her outstanding and pioneering work during the past two and half decades in campaigning and advocating for issues relating to women's health, gender concerns, rational use of medicine, right to health, highlighting right to essential and life saving medicines and non-exploitative rational health care. Initiatives include successful campaign for enactment of law, to stop misuse of medical technology for sex determination, coordination of the estrogen-progesterone campaign, which resulted in the banning of high dose, estrogen-progesterone combination, which were detrimental to women's health.

The Department of Science and Technology under its social programmes has been implementing the scheme "Science and Technology for Women" since 1987. This scheme since its inception has supported a large number of location specific sustainable projects in areas such as : cover management, post harvest technology, by product utilization, dyes, floriculture, briquetting technology, quality control, post harvest technologies, thereby increasing the avenues for income generation for rural women. Specific problems of women's nutritional and occupational health have also been addressed.

This prestigious award is given every year and carries a cash prize of Rs.1,00,000 along with a citation. The award is open to resident Indian citizens/institutions that have made a minimum of 10 years contribution to women empowerment at the grass root level.

The awards will be conferred by Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of State for Science and Technology and Ocean Development at a function in Delhi on 11th March, 2005.

Source : Ministry of Science & Technology
Date : March 8, 2005