Only a dozen countries have an equal number of male and female students participating in higher education, as new analysis shows gender parity has gone backwards across large parts of the world in the past decade. 

A published by the World Access to ����Vlog Network (WAHEN) on 28 October found that there has been some progress on gender equality, with improvements in 92 countries since a similar report in 2016. But gender parity has worsened in 88 countries and in 17 there has been no change.

The research shows inequalities still exist in 190 out of the 202 countries and jurisdictions that collect data, with female students under-represented in 51 countries (25 per cent) and male students in 139 countries (69 per cent). 

Similarly, in all countries where data exists, there are inequalities in higher education participation by socio-economic background.

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The highest levels of inequality are found in sub-Saharan African countries, where the percentage of students entering higher education from the lowest wealth quintiles is “extremely low”. This figure is less than 1 per cent in 35 countries around the world. 

While those countries are mainly lower-income ones, the report found that inequality is also relatively high in some wealthier countries, including Sweden, France, Denmark and Finland.

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However, the report found only a “moderate” link between a country’s wealth and participation in higher education by socio-economic background and gender, suggesting that “cultural and policy factors also play a substantial role”.

“You cannot estimate the level of inequality in higher education participation based on that country’s level of national income – there are more factors at play here,” the report says.

“Countries with the highest proportion of female students are drawn from across the world, including Europe (in particular the United Kingdom) and the Middle East with Qatar and Palestine. Of the 20 countries with the highest proportion of female students, half are from South America and the Caribbean.”

When looking at retention and attainment, a “slight majority” of countries have more males completing university and holding higher-level qualifications than females, which the report says could be a reflection of “generational differences”.

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“In countries where there are more female students than graduates, older generations of women may have been less likely to enter higher education than their younger counterparts.”

The report also highlights the challenges of analysing global data on inequalities in higher education. Although more countries are collecting statistics on higher education participation and attainment by student characteristics than before, “data gaps, inconsistencies and political instability continue to undermine global understanding and action”, it says.

WAHEN calls on international organisations to work in partnership to develop a global higher education access data depository.

“Understanding the global picture where inequalities in higher education participation and attainment exist is very much a work in progress and will continue to be so,” it says.

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“In particular, greater access to and collation of individual country administrative data sets would strengthen this understanding”.

Graeme Atherton, director of WAHEN and lead author of the report, added: “This report shows the extent of the challenge we face in making higher education across the world more equitable.

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“We are at a critical stage for higher education across the world and we must prioritise opening systems for it to remain relevant in the early 21st century.”

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com