Women and leadership: Strategies of gender inclusion in institutions of higher education in India

Abstract

Research shows that despite improved access of women to higher education, there remains many educational inequities for women as faculty, for example, most are concentrated at lower rungs of the academic ladder and very few women reach managerial and leadership positions. Feminist scholars have identified that explanations such as the woman’s ‘double burden’ and conflict between the personal and professional roles, are not sufficient in explaining women’s exclusion from senior academic roles. Instead they see Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are gendered in their organisational structures and have a built-in glass ceiling. In India, the gap between women and men in the corporate world is being bridged through efforts to increase the proportion of women employees and women in senior roles. Indian media consistently highlights these developments. Yet HEIs appear to be untouched by these developments. In response, the University Grants Commission (UGC) initiated a nationwide orientation and training programme for women faculty, cutting across discipline areas. The aim of the UGC programme was to support gender inclusivity in Indian HEIs by highlighting the gendered nature of institutions and building their capacity to overcome both internal constraints and barriers, as well as systemic barriers to career advancement. The programme has had a significant impact on the participants and helped to establish a broad-based network of women faculty. Several of the programme participants have become visible, claimed their rightful place in senior roles in Indian HEIs, and several more are ready to leave the ‘sticky floor’. This chapter will discuss the programme’s aims, processes and successes in supporting Indian HEIs to become gender inclusive.