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Source: The post is based on the article “AISHE report shows that the pandemic threatens to undo gender parity gains in higher education” published in “Indian Express” on 1st February 2023.
Syllabus: GS 2 – Social Issues
News: All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) report has revealed an increasing gender divide in higher education.
The Covid-19 pandemic seems to have made it harder for women to achieve equality in the workforce. This is because, during the pandemic, men had more job security, and could negotiate higher wages. Furthermore, since the pandemic ended, the number of women in some classes has gone down. Also, in fields where women had made significant progress, the progress has now been reversed, reported by All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) for 2020-21. For example, the gender ratio in the B.Com course is down to 2016 levels.
Gap is increasing where the gender gap was already present and
What are the challenges to gender equality in education?
The setback in gender equality in college and university classrooms is in contrast to other developments in school education.
The ASER report, released two weeks ago, shows that parents are still interested in getting their daughters enrolled in schools.
But the gender divide in the higher education institutions is visible.
It will have a negative impact on girls’ empowerment, which could have a ripple effect on the nutrition, health and education of future generations.
What are the government steps to overcome the gender divide?
In the wake of the pandemic, the government was quick to respond to several welfare and equity-related issues, including relief packages under PMJDY and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan and the launch of the SVANIDHI scheme for street vendors, a large percentage of whom are women.
What more should be done?
The Centre, state governments, and educational institutions need to work together to make it easier for women to return to university.
It requires increasing funding for scholarships, building more dorms and hostels, or helping to promote social change that will make it easier for half of the country’s population to achieve their goals.
