Science is supposed to be an activity open to all people, regardless of their gender (or, for that matter, their class, ethnicity or caste).  However, the practice of science today across the globe falls short of this ideal. The disparity between men and women in the profession is high, especially in the physics discipline, both in India and world-wide.

This discussion meeting will address the following questions:

• What is the nature and extent of gender inequity in the physics profession?
• Why should practicing physicists care?
• What has been done so far?
• What is the way forward?
• The outcomes from the  International Conference On Women in Physics  2017, organised by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, will be presented. The planned global gender gap survey by the International Science Council, and addressing sexual harassment in the workplace will also be discussed.

This program is the kick-off event of the newly constituted Gender in Physics Working Group of the Indian Physics Association.

The discussion meeting is aimed primarily at physics researchers, teachers and other physics  professionals, as well as students of physics at the college level and above, but is open to all interested audiences.