The skewed male-female ratio in STEM fields is phenomenon scholars and policymakers have been grappling with since the Age of Enlightenment. But for women who do the study to become engineers, scientists and mathematicians, overcoming this gender gap is a segue to another set of challenges including wage difference and an even more skewed ratio in leadership roles. It was with this idea of wanting to change the industry experience for women engineers that a handful of technologists got together to form Women Who Code (WWC) in 2011. The community has since gone on to become a global non-profit, working towards supporting women to excel in technology careers across 20 countries.

Its Mumbai chapter — the fifth in India after Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad — will launch this week with an event that will familiarise women in tech with the concept behind WWC, with an aim to build a community in the city.