Challenges of Rural Women in Pursuing Higher Education
Velu Suresh Kumar
*
PG & Research Department of Economics, H.H. The Rajah’s College (Autonomous B+), Pudukkottai - 622 001, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
India accounts for 30 per cent of the world’s total illiterate population and out of which 70 per cent are women. As per 2011 Census data, women constitute 48 per cent of the total population in India, with a total literacy rate of 53.7 per cent as compared to 75.3 per cent in males. The literacy rate among rural women is 46.1 per cent as compared to 72.9 per cent among urban women; which is still lower than literacy rates among rural and urban men which stands at 70.7 per cent and 86.3 per cent respectively. This study sought to determine the challenges faced by women in pursuing higher education with particular reference to Pudukkottai District in Tamil Nadu. It also seeks to tease out the implications it has for evolving an adequate counselling programme for women that would assist them to deal with the challenges and for ensuring proper education of the women.
Keywords: Heterochromatic attenuation, Literacy rate, chromosomal mutagenesis indicator, higher education, Marker Dots, perception, constraints and educational infrastructure