Girls’ Higher Education in the Era of Globalization: Issues of Access and Quality

The focus of this paper is to examine the status of girls’ higher education in the era of globalization. Education is reasonably a good indication of development and the right of every individual to education is one of the first provisions of UDHR. Higher education has gained significant priority in independent India since it was perceived as a promoter of economic growth, technological development and also as an instrument of equal opportunity and upward social mobility. The changes of economic liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation are impacting on the higher education system worldwide. Increasing cost of higher education, gender bias and discrimination lead to low enrolment of girls in higher education and the access to quality education is difficult for them. Majority of women are enrolled in traditional courses which make it difficult for them to meet the required demand for employment opportunities in the era of globalization.