Studying abroad has always been a far cry for many aspiring Indian students, irrespective of their gender and other factors that influence their decision-making process to study abroad. When it comes to the Indian female students applying to study abroad, the numbers were not so impressive, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. But fortunately, the trend has been slowly changing, and a recent report says that the number of female students applying to study abroad has increased by 100 to 150 per cent.
What does the report say?
Compared to the years before Covid-19 Pandemic, the number of female students applying to study abroad has increased by 100 to 150%. Here, the numbers are not that significant when compared to the uptrend of more Indian girls being able to fulfil their dream of studying abroad! Experts are also saying that this trend will keep on increasing, and there will be more and more women applying to pursue their higher education in foreign universities. So, it’s definitely a positive sign for the upcoming generations who are aiming for overseas education as the change implies that there are more opportunities for women out there, and at the same time, Indian societies are also recognising the importance of education for women that too at the expensive aspects like foreign education.
Male to female students ratio for admissions abroad
In the year 2019, for every seventy Indian men studying abroad, there were only thirty women. If we look at tier 2 and tier 3 cities, the ratio used to be 80:20, which was even more pathetic. According to the latest studies, for every 55 men going abroad for studies, there are 45 women boarding the flight, which is a great improvement. Overall report says that the current male-to-female ratio for applications to move abroad stands at 50:50, which clearly states that gender equality is becoming more tangible than ever before in India, with overseas education becoming accessible to both genders equally.
What led towards the change in trend?
Access to education for women in India, even for primary education, has always been extremely challenging because of various economic and cultural reasons in India. But with the evolution of technology and education being accessible to even the remotest parts of the country, many women are now able to move abroad for their higher studies. Apart from these generic cultural factors, there are three other important factors that played a role in this change, and let’s have a look at each of them.
Increase in the ability to spend on foreign education
No matter how hardworking a student is and how practical her father is about women’s empowerment, it’s the financial aspect that decides the career of any typical Indian student to a very large extent. Over the past decade, India has witnessed a sound increase in the spending potential of Indian middle-class families. Let’s be brutally honest, the lion’s share of Indian families prioritise the education of men compared to their siblings. But this mindset is slowly changing, and the importance of women’s education is also getting recognised. Apart from the change in mindset, the increase in spending potential of the Indian middle class could be one of the reasons behind this scenario.
Conducive educational policies and scholarships from foreign universities
As discussed earlier, the financial aspect plays a crucial role in women getting into foreign universities. That issue is being addressed by foreign countries that are offering scholarships and educational aid for those who are seeking them. The British Council, with an intention to support women to pursue their careers in STEM, has offered scholarships, and this opened up opportunities for many aspiring women who want to study abroad. Apart from this, there are many scholarships available for women who want to study abroad, like- Australia Awards Scholarships, UNESCO Scholarship for Women, etc. So, Make sure to research well to understand which scholarship is suitable for you to make your dream of studying abroad a reality.
Boom in e-learning
Access to quality education in every corner of India has manifested into a reality with the availability of the Internet at affordable prices, which led to the growth of the e-learning ecosystem in India. This change not only helped e-learning companies to make a lot of money but also empowered Indian youth to learn from the best educators in the world to learn from their homes itself. Because of this change, many Indian women who were not able to move to new locations for the preparation of entrance exams that needed to be cleared for overseas education are now able to crack them by studying from their hometown.
What should the upcoming generation learn from this?
The coming years will be fantastic for Indian students who want to move abroad to continue their studies. As the latest studies clearly show that women are getting equal opportunities as men in study abroad opportunities, it’s time to leverage all the opportunities and build a solid career and become master of your destiny.
To conclude, there is a significant rise in the number of applications from female students who want to study abroad. Reports clearly show that even in tier 2 cities also, the numbers are really impressive, and this is a positive sign for many aspiring Indian women who want to compete with their male counterparts. So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself prepared and outrank your competitors to land in your dream college abroad during these wonderful times.
FAQ’s
Of course, yes. But with foreign education alone, we shouldn’t make a comment on women’s empowerment as it’s only one of the many factors.
Well, for this question also, there can’t be an absolute answer. It again depends on the scenarios in other countries. But one thing is crystal clear. Compared to the past decade, there have been many positive changes with respect to access to high-quality education for women.
According to experts, the number of Indian women applying to study abroad will keep on increasing in the coming years.
