Essay: Womens’ pursuit for higher education

Women pursuit for higher education has been on the rise evident by the increasing number of women graduates in higher learning institutions, women enrollment in these institutions and generally the ratio of literate women to men. Although the number of literate women in developing countries is still low, there is an increase and upward trend in women’s pursuit for education. This study will examine the factors influencing the pursuit of higher education by women, the experience of women in higher education and historical factors that disadvantaged women in the quest for higher education
Historical development
Decades ago, there were barely low interest and low numbers of women in not only higher education but also all levels of education beginning from primary school. Many historical factors came in play to deny women a hand in education (Lam et al.2016). Some of these factors include socio-cultural factors, these social categorizations of men and women, boys and girls into different roles in the society especially in developing countries where the vice is still evident, disadvantaged girls over boys. The responsibilities assigned to women including child rearing and generally taking care of the family destructed their opportunities to furthering education. Pregnancy would mean that the woman would hold their ambitions down to take care of the new born. Men were not affected at all by these life occurrences.
Religious aspects have also been cited to have negatively provided disincentive or denied women participation in education. Hindu and Muslim religions have until recently placed the roles of a boy child at the core and girls given little attention (Philips et al. 2018). Until recently for a country like Saudi Arabia, women have always been denied among other things ownership and even driving of vehicles. The outcomes of education were tilted to favor boys at the expense of girls. Despite having the same levels of education, men would still land in bigger and better-paying jobs compared to their female counterparts, this provided a disincentive for women to get further education. The economic dimension also disadvantaged women. The cost of taking a girl to school especially secondary boarding schools is often higher than in the case of men ranging from additional needs such as sanitary pads, books, transport, pocket money, etc, this made poor parents opt to educate boys who were cheaper to take them to school. The social perception too that women would be married off and their benefits from education would be enjoyed by ‘others’ became a course to consider, parents resorted to educating boy child, so they could, in turn, help them during old age. Also, the economic contribution of girls in the provision of unpaid domestic labor gave parents more reasons to have their daughters out of school.
Health problems like pregnancy especially for adolescent girls due to rising trends of sexual activity greatly disadvantaged girls as they would be forced to abandon education and shift their attention to family and childcare, after giving birth, women would then think of providing the best to their kids and therefore had to cede their priorities. The legal aspect also despite being evident on most of the constitutions, efforts towards bridging gaps of gender inequality is still yet to be attained (Saas 2018). Laws pertaining to early marriages are well stated in the constitution but the applicability of these laws remained in the mercy of those in power.
Factors Influencing Women Pursuit For Higher Education
Despite the challenges mentioned above, efforts towards reversing the trends have to a greater extent been successful, many women are graduating from schools of higher learning, enrollment in tertiary institutions is now higher for women, and even performance of women in these institutions is commendable. Various factors had to come in play to make this a success. Increased expenditure on girl child education has made this milestone stride possible. There has been an increasing capitation and scholarship for women to further education by governments and Non-governmental organizations (Rathgeber2003). In most of the developing countries, for example, NGOs specifically targeting girl child education have been making entry to reverse the earlier trend. The mentality of ‘when you empower a woman, you empower a family’ has now played a pivotal role to change the earlier perception that women would be married off and therefore a liability to their family. Research shows that a family with an educated woman and an illiterate man tend to succeed better compared with one with an uneducated woman and well literate man.
United Nations through adoption and ratification of the millennium development goals placed the central importance of gender equality promotion. Goal number three of the Millennium Development goals advocates for gender equality and requires member states to put in place measures to achieve gender equality in the fields of education, access to resources and benefits from the same work, this has raised the standards of women and increased their thirst on higher education (mwaipopo 2005). Technology has also played a very critical role in the life of the girl child. Introduction of family planning methods has helped to curb unwanted pregnancies and made women more responsive to the family size, this has positively promoted women education.
The notion that ‘when you educate a woman, you empower a family’ has come to reverse the earlier perception that women were just liabilities who would use a family resource and get married off has changed family perception on the girl child, and now families provide education to the girl child in equal measure to the boys. The economic cost also associated with the girl child and the economic benefits that were attached to the girl child in the provision of unpaid domestic labor has been overturned by events through incentives such as provision of sanitary towels in schools, provision of free higher education in some countries and even scholarship awarded to women by various higher learning institutions, also the benefits of schooling has outdone the earlier benefits from domestic labor provision.
Political and administrative goodwill has also made it possible for women to get empowered. There has been a general political call for nations to strive to empower women and bring more women to leadership and political cycle, many countries have set aside affirmative action kits to reverse the trend of gender marginalization and empower women. Women participation in politics has helped them champion for their rights in decision-making institutions and demand for equitable distribution of economic benefits. High absorption rate of women in employment; Women are said to be in a position to multitask and their labor productivity has also been found to be almost equal to that of me, going by these realities and the fact that women are more responsive and are good managers as lifted their social worth and acceptance in many employment opportunities. As the world economy also increases, many opportunities are created and therefore women get motivated to take advantages of these opportunities.
Women are known as the weaker sex implying that they can only afford office jobs other than field strenuous jobs like electrical masonry, carpentry, etc including business, they, therefore, resort to education in order to find themselves a place in the office unlike their male counterparts who do not entirely depend on office jobs instead may engage in other fields like talents, business, strenuous jobs like driving, etc. A relatively peaceful world has enabled many including women an opportunity to reside in place they call home other than being a refugee in a foreign land. Immigration disturbs learning especially for women and children. On entry into a foreign nation, sometimes the education curriculum is not identical and sometimes even there exist language barrier. This disadvantages women who are then forced to engage in other activities to make a living. Increased number of children: educated women are likely to insist on education for their children especially daughters (Luke 2001).. Every mother would wish their kids have a better life than they and knowledge is such one too to gift to the children. Women have over time been viewed as outsiders in academics disadvantaged by a system of differing values and interest. Men have had more access to technology and research traditionally and more support to facilitate research while women have been directed into caring. There are unequal chances in entering the academic profession
Experiences Of Women In Developed Countries
Although universities are often considered neutral organizations where both gender benefit equally, Morley (2005) holds a different view and argues that universities have often played a role of promoting inequalities, discrimination among staff and students in matters related to promotion at work, employment, and even during debates, other than promoting gender equality, men jealously guard their dominant role. Most valued activities in colleges are those reflecting male patterns of socialization, competitive rather than competitive and individual other than cooperative, a distinction between masculinity and feminine is evident in activities undertaken.
Despite the increase in numbers of women in a higher learning institution, women remain underrepresented in powerful positions of leadership. Women hence become a voiceless majority in these institutions. Leonard and Malina (1994) found out that men would easily find it easier to combine family and education but their female counterparts would find it hard and would then choose between family and academia and that married women would be likely to be studying or working on a part-time basis. Ramsden (1996) found out that majority of women in Australia who finished their doctorate are more likely to work in part-time career jobs for the rest of their career occasioned by interruptions related to childbearing responsibilities. In Sweden, research showed that nepotism and sexism in research funding were rampant and that for a female scientist to be equally rated, she needed to be twice more productive than the average male (Howie and Tauchert2001)
Experience Of Women In Higher Education In Developing Countries
Women’s access to education in Africa and Asia has generally increased and there is a significant relationship between gender and colonization Snyder and Tedesse (1995). Women joined education later than men. Missionary education disproportionately marginalized women access to education. Women were deliberately excluded from education. Patriarchy, poverty and routine domestic chores have been blamed for the slow absorption of women into the education stream.
Social, cultural and economic barriers have also been cited to block women from enrolling in higher education. The expectations of the society on a woman is to bear the burden of caring for the elderly, sick, young and disabled. Around the world,   gender gaps are widespread in access and control of resources, power, economic opportunities but the gap is wider in Africa and developing countries. Women in Africa have often been encouraged to take arts and humanities-related courses while being discouraged from science courses as science courses are perceived and often related to masculinity.
Conclusion
Women enrollment in institutions of higher learning has tremendously increased but the number of women in powerful positions of leadership has not increased so much leaving women to be the silent majority in these institutions. The efforts to promote gender equality to some extent has been successful but more efforts still need to be channeled especially in developing countries where these numbers are still low. Attainability of gender equality is still yet to be realized although I believe gender equity is a better term since gender equality means women have the same access, power, responsibilities, and benefits from resources which may not be realistic going by the different life conditions that different gender face. Gender equity which implies everyone benefiting equitably from natural resources, equitable conditions and access to resources and equal pay from work