Disguised Gender (Dis) Parity in Selected Engineering Programs in Indian Higher Education

Abstract

Higher education in India has experienced significant growth in terms of the number of institutions and student enrolments, along with improved gender parity in overall enrolments. However, this growth masks ongoing gender disparities in specific disciplines, particularly in engineering and technology. This paper aims to assess the growth and gender disparities in enrolment in engineering programs at various levels of higher education. The analysis is based on reliable and comparable secondary data from the All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE). Findings indicate that the proportion of female enrolments has consistently remained below half of that of male enrolments in engineering disciplines: 31 percent at the undergraduate level, 40 percent at the postgraduate level, and 32 percent at the Ph.D. level. Among different engineering fields, mechanical, metallurgical, mining, and civil engineering have particularly low shares of female enrolments. Increasing female enrolments in engineering programs is crucial for ensuring better career opportunities and higher earnings in engineering careers. Moreover, a higher presence of women in the field could lead to innovations geared towards female welfare. The underrepresentation of females can be attributed to various factors, including patriarchal societal norms and non-supportive educational and employment environments for women. To enhance gender equity, government interventions and sustained efforts are essential to address the societal and employment stigmas that hinder female participation in engineering education and careers.