Sumita Kale: Back to the kitchen, ladies

While examining the need for gender parity in tertiary education, the 172nd Report on University and Higher Education took up the issue of faculty-wise enrolments and urged the participation of women in professional courses, "which is abysmally low at present, ... be improved manifold without further delay." But in order to understand why women do not study in colleges and if they do, they take up arts, rather than science and engineering (see table), run a quick check over the hurdles faced by women in education.

The first hurdle of getting into school appears to be diminishing rapidly as enrolment ratios of girls stands at 95 per cent in primary school. More importantly, the dropout rate has decreased over the years "" at 28.57 per cent in 2003-04, it is actually lower than the 33.74 per cent dropout rate of boys. It seems that parents have accepted the need to educate the girls to some extent at least.

That the sanction granted by families is limited shows up immediately at the next stage as the dropout rate jumps to 52.29 per cent by class VIII. Problems of keeping a girl in school are varied, ranging from the need for sibling care, safety- and transport-related problems of reaching schools to the lack of sanitary arrangements and no female teachers. Though these problems are being addressed by the administration, not enough has been achieved so far. As a result, only 34.26 per cent of all girls in the age group 14-18 years remain in school, compared to 42.94 per cent of the boys.

A girl who has reached college has obviously circumvented all these hurdles, but then she runs up against the biggest barrier, one faced by women all across the world. The choice of the course is restricted by the future envisioned for the girls post-college. Are they expected to get married and stay home? If they are allowed to work by their families, will they get jobs commensurate with their qualifications, will they be able to balance their domestic and work responsibilities?

The International Labour Organisation study, "Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling"(2004), reports data from across the globe showing that even as women enrolment in tertiary education has increased considerably over the years, women bypass career-oriented courses as they opt for what are traditionally "female" subjects. Further, even though participation of women in professional and managerial jobs has increased, career aspirations are usually given less importance as women shoulder a much greater burden of domestic responsibilities compared to the men. Labour has fought for its rights over the past century, but the movement being male-dominated, requirements of women have not been taken up. Facilities for creches, flexitime and so on should not be seen as handouts but as legitimate rights.

But all this may seem rather futuristic for the majority of the women in this country. Today, the Parliamentary Committee recommends: "training rural women for the purpose of involving them through community participation in our development process should also be promoted. Their involvement in the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, more particularly, the Mid-Day Meal, could make these schemes a great success." This recommendation, though very practical for women empowerment, seems out of place in a report on university and higher education; so till the world changes, it is back to the kitchen, ladies.

The author works with Indicus Analytics, and can be contacted at sumita@indicus.net