Gender Participation in Higher Education in India: Trends, Challenges and Policy Implications

This study looks into gender disparities in higher education enrolment and the composition of teaching staff in India using secondary data from AISHE reports. It focuses on trends in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), student enrolment by state, and gender parity among teaching staff. The results show a consistent rise in GER for both males and females from 2012 to 2021. Female GER increased from 20.1% to 28.5% and surpassed male GER from 2019 onward. Some states, like Ladakh, Andhra Pradesh, Lakshadweep, and Kerala, have more female students than male, while larger states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh show near gender parity. However, transgender enrolment remains very low in all states, indicating ongoing exclusion. Although Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of female teaching staff, the proportion is still low. Smaller states and union territories, such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, show higher female representation. The inferential analysis reveals no significant difference between male and female GER nationally and no regional variation in female faculty representation. The findings indicate progress toward gender equity but emphasize the need for focused, inclusive higher education policies.