Higher education and research are the key drivers for the empowering the society and bring social change. For that higher educational institutions can play a significant role in promoting gender equality and inclusivity, and reducing the gender gap. Women’s improved enrolment ratio will improve their living standards and decision-making power in society.
The gender gap in women’s enrolment and accessibility in higher education remains a perilous issue in every state and union territory of India, barring a few southern states. Such gaps exist despite significant progress made by India Socio-economic, cultural, and infrastructural factors contribute to this gap. India is progressing well towards bridging gender disparity gap in Higher Educational Institutions through policies and positive interventions.
Student enrolment in higher education has steadily increased from 2010-11 to 2021-22. Enrolment rose from 27.5 million students in 2010-11 to 43.27 million in 2021-22, marking 1.6 times increase. Over this period, the total growth rate reached 57.34% by 2021-22. During 2021-22 women enrolment in higher education were 47.82% and narrowing the gender gap to 4.36%. About 16 States and UTs have female enrolment are greater than 50%.
Women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is vital for the nation’s social and economic development and also crucial for improving the quality of life for women themselves. Around 22.8% students are enrolled in STEM programs. Within STEM, 58% students are enrolled in science programs, while 42% in Engineering and Technology courses. In Science programs the female enrolment is 52.14 % whereas in Engineering & Technology it is only 29.33 %. Architecture is the only one branch of Engineering & Technology where female enrolment is higher than male as compared to other technical fields.
Government of India, making many initiatives and efforts for more women participation in the field of Engineering and Technology. Despite this progress, female representation remains notably low in Institutions of National Importance, such as IITs, NITs, and IISERs, as well as in deemed universities and private universities.
Public policy in India has consistently aimed at creating a 100 percent literate society with a scientific mindset. The establishment of premier IIT institutions was intended to develop a skilled workforce to support the country’s economic and social development. Improving the enrolment of female students in schools and higher education institutions has been a priority for successive Indian governments. The decrease in the gender gap shows steady progress toward equal enrolment, reflecting the success of recent educational policies and programs for women. However, to keep this progress going, it is essential to ensure that every girl can finish school and move smoothly into higher education, based on her interests and abilities.
These initiatives have begun to yield positive results in general education and higher education, but until recently, this progress has been primarily in non-STEM fields. While the number of female students may continue to rise in the coming years, sustained efforts by policymakers in higher education are crucial to further increase the enrolment of women in STEM courses. Such initiatives would significantly contribute to women’s empowerment and economic growth. The analysis is based on data collected from the All-India Survey on higher education (AISHE) reports, Government of India over the past 12 years, i.e. 2010-11 to 2021-22.
