Empowering Women Through Higher Education: the Kerala Episode

‘Empowering women’ has become a buzzword in our socioeconomic parlor. Several initiatives in line with empowering and emboldening women have been on the roll. Provision of education in general and higher education in particular has been seen as a potent tool in mainstreaming women everywhere. India is not an exception in this regard. Among the Indian States, Kerala has exhibited a unique model based on education and health. Despite the bold attempt of the State in mainstreaming women through Democratic Decentralisation and provision of higher education, the fact remains that women in Kerala are not proportionately represented in the decision making bodies of Universities like Senate, Syndicate, Academic Councils, Board of Studies and so on. As regards women representation in responsible positions like Registrars, Pro-Vice Chancellors, Vice Chancellors, Faculty Deans etc., their presence is conspicuous by their absence. For example, out of the 12 Universities in Kerala, we have only one women Vice-Chancellor and a ProVice Chancellor. This is the case with other dignified positions in the field of higher education. The paper underlines the need for enhanced women participation in decision making bodies of higher education like Universities for their empowerment