Empowering Young Women to Enter Higher Education

Empowering Young Women to Enter Higher Education

Why in News

The recent tragic suicides of young women students in Balasore, Noida, and Kharagpur have brought into sharp focus the critical shortcomings of India’s educational ecosystem in supporting female students. Despite several decades of policy interventions aimed at enhancing access and opportunities, young women — especially those from underprivileged backgrounds — continue to face social, cultural, and economic challenges in their pursuit of higher education. These incidents raise urgent questions about the effectiveness of existing gender equity initiatives and the broader responsibility of families, communities, and institutions in safeguarding the aspirations of women learners.

Introduction

Women’s education has always been at the heart of debates around India’s social and economic progress. While remarkable progress has been made since independence — including significant increases in women’s literacy and enrollment in higher education — the path remains riddled with barriers. Girls aspiring for higher education must navigate complex challenges: lack of family support, unsafe transport, restrictive cultural expectations, early marriage pressures, inadequate financial resources, and emotional burdens stemming from low self-worth.

According to Dr. Kiran Modi, founder and managing trustee of Udayan Care, these issues collectively wear down women students. Many young girls juggle unpaid household work alongside their studies, often risk their safety while commuting to colleges, and carry the heavy weight of expectations to either marry early or forgo higher education. Alarmingly, a longitudinal study conducted by her organization with Duke University found that at least one-fifth of surveyed girls harbored suicidal tendencies due to these compounding pressures.

This stark reality underscores the urgent need for systemic reform — one that not only ensures access but also provides sustained emotional, financial, and institutional support to women learners.

Key Issues and Background

1. Persistent Social and Cultural Barriers

Young women in India are still constrained by deeply ingrained gender norms. Household responsibilities, expectations of marriage, and cultural restrictions often discourage them from pursuing advanced studies. The fear of being judged, restricted, or abandoned by their families makes higher education seem like a privilege instead of a right.

2. Safety Concerns and Accessibility

For many girls, merely traveling to college is a challenge. Unsafe buses, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of secure spaces create an additional barrier. Parents are hesitant to allow their daughters to commute far distances for education, further shrinking opportunities.

3. Financial Insecurity

Economic inequality plays a major role in restricting women’s access to higher education. Expenses related to commuting, food, hostel accommodation, and academic materials can be overwhelming for underprivileged families. For first-generation learners, these costs become a significant roadblock to sustaining education.

4. Mental Health Struggles

Feelings of inadequacy, low self-worth, and lack of agency are common among women students. These psychological burdens, compounded by systemic neglect, have resulted in cases of depression, anxiety, and suicides, as seen recently.

5. Ineffective Implementation of Policies

Though the government has introduced several initiatives since the 1950s — including the Kothari Commission recommendations and the National Policy on Education (1986) — the implementation has often fallen short of addressing ground realities. While enrollment has improved, particularly in STEM fields, the gap between policy promises and lived experiences remains significant.

Specific Impacts or Effects

The Role of Udayan Shalini Fellowship (USF)

One of the notable civil society interventions addressing these challenges is the Udayan Shalini Fellowship (USF), which has been operating for 23 years. With 38 chapters across India, USF has created education, agency, and leadership pathways for over 18,000 first-generation learners. It actively identifies and supports at-risk adolescent girls who display a strong passion for higher education but lack structural support.

Each fellow under USF receives up to six years of comprehensive support, including mentoring, financial aid, and counseling. This holistic system ensures that their individual academic and personal challenges are addressed. A 2023 evaluation of USF revealed that:

• 73% of fellows were first-generation college attendees, breaking cycles of poverty in their families.

• 42% of fellows chose science streams, significantly improving women’s representation in STEM fields.

These numbers not only demonstrate the tangible outcomes of focused interventions but also highlight the importance of long-term, interconnected support systems.

Leadership and Institutional Challenges

Anurag Behar, CEO of Azim Premji Foundation, emphasizes that women face the same struggles in higher education as they do in wider society. Two critical solutions, he suggests, are:

1. Increasing women in leadership roles within academia and society.

2. Swift, decisive, and fair redressal of violations and inequalities faced by women in institutions.

He also highlights everyday struggles like affording transportation or meals in canteens, showing how even small barriers can become massive strains on women learners.

Government Interventions and Outcomes

The Kothari Commission (1964–1966) had already underscored the need for gender equality in education. Later, the National Policy on Education (1986) emphasized creating a long-term vision for equitable access. These efforts have resulted in a notable rise in female enrollment, with data showing a 23% increase in women’s enrollment in STEM courses.

However, despite these policy efforts, the persistence of structural and cultural barriers means that the promise of equitable higher education is yet to be fully realized.

Challenges and the Way Forward

1. Strengthening Safety Infrastructure
   Ensuring safe and reliable transportation and secure campus facilities is critical. Without addressing safety concerns, female enrollment will remain restricted.

2. Financial Support Mechanisms
   Scholarships, stipends, and affordable hostel facilities must be scaled up, particularly for first-generation learners from economically weaker backgrounds.

3. Mental Health and Counseling
   Institutional mechanisms for counseling, mentoring, and emotional support must become central to education systems. Accessible mental health services can help address feelings of inadequacy and prevent tragic incidents like suicides.

4. Cultural Transformation
   Families and communities must shift their perspectives on women’s education. Campaigns that emphasize the value of women in leadership and professional roles can challenge restrictive norms.

5. Effective Policy Implementation
   Government policies must focus not only on enrollment numbers but also on retention, completion rates, and meaningful participation of women in diverse fields.

6. Mentorship and Networking Opportunities
   Programs like USF demonstrate the transformative power of mentoring. Expanding such initiatives across states can help create strong support systems for women learners.

Conclusion

The empowerment of young women through higher education is not just a matter of gender equality — it is an economic, social, and moral imperative. Education allows women to break cycles of poverty, contribute meaningfully to society, and lead with agency. While progress has been made in policy and enrollment, systemic barriers continue to undermine the aspirations of women.

To move forward, a collective effort from families, communities, institutions, and policymakers is required. Women must be provided with safe, supportive, and inclusive environments where they can thrive. Counseling, mentoring, and leadership development should become integral to educational systems.

The suicides of young women students serve as a grim reminder that while access to higher education has improved on paper, the lived reality of many remains unchanged. Only when systemic reforms prioritize women’s safety, agency, and aspirations will true empowerment be achieved.

5 Questions & Answers

Q1. Why has women’s higher education in India come under focus recently?
A1. The issue has gained attention due to recent suicides of young women students in Balasore, Noida, and Kharagpur, highlighting systemic failures in supporting female students and ensuring safe, inclusive educational environments.

Q2. What are the key challenges faced by young women in pursuing higher education?
A2. Challenges include financial insecurity, unsafe transport, early marriage pressures, restrictive cultural norms, lack of family support, and mental health struggles like inadequacy and low self-worth.

Q3. What role does the Udayan Shalini Fellowship (USF) play?
A3. USF provides long-term mentoring, financial aid, and leadership training to first-generation women learners. With 38 chapters across India, it has supported over 18,000 girls and significantly improved representation in STEM courses.

Q4. How effective have government policies been in addressing women’s education?
A4. Policies like the Kothari Commission and the National Policy on Education (1986) have improved enrollment, particularly in STEM fields. However, challenges persist due to ineffective implementation, cultural resistance, and lack of infrastructure.

Q5. What steps are necessary to ensure equitable access to higher education for women?
A5. Solutions include improving safety infrastructure, offering financial aid, integrating counseling and mentoring services, changing cultural attitudes, and ensuring women’s representation in leadership roles within institutions.