Gender Discrimination in Higher Education Institutions of Northeast India.

Gender discrimination is a common phenomenon in higher education institutions in many parts of India and in the world. Northeast India is a less developed area of India. In order to promote higher education, substantial numbers of higher education institutions have been established in northeast India periodically. But, how far the northeast India higher education institutions are maintaining gender equality is a serious question facing the researchers and other stakeholders of education. Therefore, this study was designed to study gender discrimination in higher education institutions in northeast India. The study’s objectives were to examine the status of women employees compared to men employees and the status of girls compared to boys in higher education institutions. Six higher education institutions were taken as sample institutions for the study. The study included public relations officers/representatives of the head of the institutions and the head of the departments of the institutions as participants. The study was descriptive survey-type research. Two information schedules were used as tools for the collection of data from participants. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis were used for the study. The study revealed that women possessed inferior status in comparison to men in all the administrativ and related positions (i.e., vice chancellor/director, pro-vice-chancellor, registrar, controller of examinations, finance officer, medical officer, deputy registrar, assistant registrar, section officer and clerks), and in all the academic and the related positions (i.e. dean of schools, head of the department, professor, associate professor and assistant professor) in higher education institutions. Further, the study indicated that girls possessed inferior status in comparison to boys in enrolment in different courses. In contrast, girls maintained superior status compared to boys in retention in various courses and completion of the different courses (achievement) in higher education institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]