About the Project
Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) is an innovative Pilot Project launched by the WISE-KIRAN division of Department of Science and Technology (DST). It ushers a novel intervention programme for promoting gender equity in science and technology. Project GATI was one of the three initiatives of DST announced on 28 February 2020, the National Science Day, by the Hon'ble President of India at a celebratory programme dedicated to Women in Science held at VigyanBhavan, New Delhi.

GATI aims to nudge institutions of higher education and research towards supporting diversity, inclusion, and the full spectrum of talent for their own success and progression. In particular, it aspires to create an enabling environment for equal participation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Mathematics (STEMM) disciplines at all levels, addressing deep-rooted problems. It envisages a fresh perspective on not just measures for increasing retention and recruitment but the progression of women throughout their professional journey.
The overarching programme is being undertaken by DST in partnership with British Council in furtherance of the deep relations existing between India and UK in the field of education. An important feature of Project GATI is that it will not just assess, accredit, and recognize institutions through Certification and Awards. It also engages, mentors, partners, and support institutions as they work towards reaching the global best practice of gender equality. To this end, British Council will facilitate collaboration with Advance HE as well as the peer network of Athena SWAN accredited institutions in the UK.
The partnering UK institutions are as follows:
- University College of London
- Queen Mary University of London
- University of Manchester
- Aston University, Birmingham
- University of West of Scotland
- King's College London
Wildlife Institute of India in the GATI Pilot
Science and Technology Institutes of Higher Education and Research were invited through an open call to express interest in participating in the GATI Pilot. After rigorous analysis of data and following the proper process of selection, thirty institutions have been selected to participate in the GATI Pilot.
Wildlife Institute of India is one of these 30 institutions selected by Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India, to participate in the GATI pilot. WIII has become a signatory to the GATI Charter and thereby committed to adopting its guiding principles in the institute's policies, practices, action plans, and culture for transformative change.
Wildlife Institute of India has been grouped with the University of West Scotland (UWS)
Partners
Department of Science and Technology, GOI
DST, GOI as implementing organization has constituted-
- GATI Advisory Committee to oversee the pilot and
- GATI Working Group for Consultations and Providing inputs during the process of development of Gender Equity Framework and other related modules for GATI, drafted by Dr. Pratibha Jolly, Academic Consultant, NAAC, in consultation with DST.
British Council
British Council is Facilitating the GATI pilot by sharing experiences, processes, evolution, and strategies related to the Athena SWAN initiative through its knowledge partner, Advance HE, UK with DST and Pilot institution.
Workshop and Activities
On the spot drawing and painting competition at WII, Auditorium on 9th June 2022.
Organiser : WII- GATI
Collaborators : ENVIS & WII NMCG
The competition was organised to sensitise young minds on the importance of women and their contribution to today's society with special emphasis on the significance of gender equality.
The theme of the on-the-spot Drawing and painting competition was 'Draw your women role model' and students from various schools participated in the same. The on-the-spot drawing and painting competition drew a total of 31 students. The competition commenced with the welcoming address by Ms Ritu Chauhan, Project Assistant WII-GATI. The audience were given a brief overview of the GATI project, including its goals and objectives, followed by a short video of the project. Dr Sangeeta Angom Project Scientist WII-NMCG informed the participants about the rules of the competition and encouraged them to give their best.
Participants were given an hour to draw and paint on the theme 'draw your women role model'. It was enticing to see young talent draw women leaders and influential figures that created history in the world. The participants were awarded by Dr Ruchi Badola Scientist-G and Registrar of Wildlife Institute of India. Out of 31 participants, the top 3 participants were awarded from different categories and a total of 11 participants were awarded under the Special mentions category. Mr Aamir Lone, GIS Expert ENVIS gave the vote of thanks and congratulated the award winners. The joint efforts of GATI, ENVIS and WII-NMCG project helped in making the event a huge success.
GSAT Orientation on 20th May 2022.
A GATI Self- assessment team has been constituted under Gender Advancement for Transforming Instituition (GATI) project.
The role of the GSAT team is as follows-
- Launch a comprehensive publicity campaign/orientation to inform the GATI Pilot Project
- Organize events for generating awareness like seminars, workshops and training programs
- Engage in wide-scale discussions/consultations with diverse stakeholders and community members.
- Involve in interactions such as individual and group discussions, theme-based feedback forms and surveys, chats and townhall meetings, and so on.
- Develop proposals and plan implementation of SMART Action Plans.
- Co-operation in completion of Self- Assessment Application.
- Integrate Peer Review suggestions. A GSAT orientation was held on 20th May 2022, wherein Dr Ruchi Badola Scientist G and Nodal officer of the GATI project, gave an in-depth introduction about the project to the WII GSAT team. Dr Badola explained the uniqueness and the importance of the project for the WII community and the role of the GSAT in creating an institutional environment for the overall integration of the GATI Charter in the institution GSAT orientation presentation.
To view the GSAT orientation presentation.
Online Workshop series with University of West Scotland (UWS)
Date: 8 workshops from December to March
Organised by: University of West Scotland
The University of West Scotland draws on their experience and expertise from the UK’s successful Athena Swan model to mentor and support the Indian institution for the GATI accreditation. This is accomplished through a series of workshops, sharing resources/materials, advising on best practices, and encouraging collaboration across institutions.
The workshops with the UWS were attended by Dr Ruchi Badola Scientist G and Nodal Officer of the GATI project and Ms Ritu Chauhan, Project Assistant GATI project. The workshops assisted Indian higher education institutions and research organisations for supporting diversity and inclusion for talent progression, as well as addressing systemic barriers that women face when participating in STEMM at all levels. It also aims to improve recruitment and retention while also assisting women in advancing in their careers. The Wildlife Institute of India has been grouped under University of West Scotland with other Indian Insituitions namely BITS Pilani, NIT Rourkela, Banaras Hindu University and DRDO Defence Bioengineering & Electromedical Lab.
International Women's Day virtual talk series 'She the river shaping the new tomorrow' from 2nd March 2022 to 7th March 2022
International Women's Day week was celebrated keeping in mind the IWD theme of the year 'Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow' to empower women to voice their opinion and have a stake in decision-making related to climate change and sustainability, which is an essential element for sustainable development and greater gender equality.
A series of virtual talks were organized from 2nd March to 7th March 2022, under the theme 'She the river, shaping the new tomorrow' wherein six female speakers from diverse fields, interacted and delivered speeches on different topics to the participants. Each talk was attended by participants from various walks of life and different regions of the country. A total of over 100 participants attended the six days long virtual talk. The six sessions were conducted in the following order, Dr Ruchi Badola Scientist G and Nodal officer of GATI, Ms Shruti Sharma IFS PCCF HoFF (retd.), Ms Geeta Gairola Social Activist, Dr Kiran Negi Senior Scientist at HESCO, Dr Harsha Lakhera Academic Counselor and Ms Mariyam Haider Writer and Spoken word artist.
Day 1 : 2nd March 2022
Dr. Ruchi Badola - 'River and people connect'
The series first talk was by Dr. Ruchi Badola, Scientist G and Nodal officer WII-NMCG project, wherein she talked about the cultural significance of rivers and the way rivers in culture and mythology have been treated and considered as women that are blessed and life-givers. She emphasized the crucial role of women in river conservation and highlighted the efforts of women Ganga Praharis in conserving and cleaning the Ganga River and its tributaries in Ganga River Basin. She emphasised that motivated and determined women can not only achieve economic independence but can also change the direction of social movements.
View On 
Day 2 : 3rd March 2022
Ms Shruti Sharma - 'The many lives of Chambal'
The second talk was by Ms Shruti Sharma, PCCF &HoFF (retd.) Government of Rajasthan. She spoke about the ecological, economic, and social contribution of the Chambal River.
Ms Sharma shared her experience as a woman officer dealing with conservation issues in a male-dominated state and society.
Day 3 : 4th March 2022
Ms. Geeta Gairola - ' बोल के लब आजाद हैं तेरे '
Cultural event at Ganga Avlokan, Chandi Ghat, Haridwar.
The event commenced with the welcome speech of Dr. Ruchi Badola, Scientist G and Nodal Officer GATI, congratulated the women on the International Women's Day/week and also focussed on the fact that it was an appropriate celebration of Women's day as women from different walks of life have joined hands today for an empowering tomorrow. A cultural programme and awareness drive were conducted. The cultural programme was performed by e-MACH on the mythology of the holy river Ganga and the importance she holds in our lives. The cultural programme was headed by the e-MACH president Mr Ashish Kumar Jha, including a dance performance that was aimed at creating awareness on the importance of cleanliness of the river Ganga. The women Ganga Praharis, full of motivation and confidence brought the people together for Ganga Rejuvenation through spiritual songs and music
The third speaker was Ms. Geeta Gairola, Former-Director, Mahila Samakhya Uttarakhand, who shared her vast experience of working with women on gender and equality concerns. She highlighted the issues faced by women in society on many fronts. She also urged male participants to support and promote equality in their potential capacities. She encouraged the participants to voice their opinion on every possible platform and work towards an equal and just society.
View On 
Day 4 : 5th March 2022
Dr.Kiran Negi - ' महिलाओं के बढ़ते कदम:तकनीकी से स्वावलंबन के ओर '
Dr. Kiran Negi, Senior Scientist, Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization (HESCO) was the speaker on the fourth day. Dr. Negi shared her experience of working with rural women for their sustainable livelihood development and the use of technologies by rural women. She narrated the story of economic independence achieved by women's self-help groups in various parts of the country.
She motivated the participants, to be educated and informed about the technological and economic developments and to be more socially and economically secure.
View On 
Day 5 : 6th March 2022
Dr.Harsha Lakhera - 'शिक्षा शक्ति एवं सामर्थ्य: महिलाओं की विरासत '
The speaker for the fifth day was Dr. Harsha Lakhera, Teacher and Educational Consultant who talked about the difference between issues faced by urban and rural women populations.
She spoke about the importance of gender equality in education and the role of educational institutions in ensuring equal opportunities for women and enabling them to achieve the highest level of education.
Day 6 : 7th March 2022
Ms. Mariyam Haider - 'Women becoming their own storytellers'
On the sixth day, Ms. Mariyam Haider a writer, researcher and spoken word artist interacted with the participants. Ms. Haider spoke about the importance of voicing onn's opinion to make a change in society. She also informed participants that story sharing, or storytelling is an asset people can learn and develop, which can enable them to reach out for solutions and at the same time be a solution.
She urged the participants to share their stories and opinion on every possible platform and opportunity. She highlighted the growing role of modern technology especially social media in sharing the story and creating a niche for oneself.
View On 
Virtual talk series on International day for women and girls in science 'समानता, विविधता और समावेशन: महिला सशक्तिकरण के तीन स्तंभ' on 11th February 2022
In December 2015, the United Nations adopted a resolution to celebrate February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science the virtual talk was held to recognize the role of women and girls in science, not just as beneficiaries but also as change agents.
On the occasion of International day for women and girls in science a virtual talk was held with Dr Savita, HoFF (retd.), H.P, wherein she shared her experience and interacted with the audience comprising of faculty, researchers, employees and others on the importance of women empowerment. She also shared important facts about women's contribution to STEM and also expressed her views on the depletion of water resources and its impact on women. A short film 'Muskaan' on Gender equality and female foeticide abortion was shown to the audience to aware them of the evil deed. A total of 163 people attended the online virtual talk.
View On 
Team Profile
Nodal Officer of GATI Project
Scientist - G
ruchi [at] wii [dot] gov [dot] in
Project Assistant- GATI Project
ritugati [at] wii [dot] gov [dot] in