why are there so few female leaders in higher education: a case of structure or agency?
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How to inspire females to get enrolled in higher education
“Steps shall be taken to ensure full participation of women in all spheres of life”
This is what Article 34 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan states. However, when it comes to female representation, Pakistan is still making marked progress.
When it comes to literacy, the statistics are quite disappointing standing at 29.7% for an adult-women. For most of country’s short history, the discrepancy between education of girls and boys begins at primary level. Even though, efforts are underway by national and international organizations to improve the quality of education and substantially increase the number of female representations in academic settings.
A number of barriers stand and there is a need to understand the limitations which hinder an access to education for a female. And these limitations start as early as primary level, where 32% of girls are out of school. The ratio increases in middle school, and by grade9 only a fraction i.e. 13% of young women are enrolled in school.
The government can play a significant role here. They need to encourage a change in attitude regarding females right to education, as it varies across communities. Many people describe growing acceptance of the value of women’s education, but there still exist a need to uplift it and raise awareness regarding it.
First and fore-most measure should include changing the perception that investing in female education does not, result in the economic uplift of the country. On the contrary, females who receive education are highly likely to lead a productive and healthy life while earning higher income and making informed decisions that affect them the most. Moreover, its crucial for the overall well-being of their families as they become capable of building better futures for themselves and others around.
Another issue faced by a lot of young female students is sexual harassment due to which many no longer wishes to continue their education. Academic authorities may need to counter this subject, by providing safe and secure transport systems, including reliability and trust among them.
There is also a demand for quality education financing in academic institutions. Global and local investors, along with our government need to constructively take part in making resources accessible at public and private sector level. A female’s education can be incentivized by subsidizing fees or by providing individual stipends.
According to UN report, Pakistan stands at 153 out of 156 in the Global Gender Gap Report, with 53.6% of women deprived of education, training and employment as compared to 7.4% of men. Grim as reports may look, it is a wake-up call for us as a nation to take strident steps towards improving the fortunes of our female population and empower then to become equal contributors in the economic progress of our country. Which can be achieved by creating awareness regarding the significance of educating a women and the impact it can have on families and economies.
References:
https://edufinance.org/latest/blog/2021/empowering-girls-through-education-in-pakistan
https://online.maryville.edu/blog/women-in-higher-ed-leadership/