DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2014.v02i02.008

Pages: 190-196

Education is one of the most important means of empowering women with knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary to participate fully in the developmental process. Higher education is recognized as a powerful instrument of socio economic advancement of the society in general and a vehicle for upward social mobility for deprived and marginalized sections in particular. Now, India has the second largest higher education system of the world, but it is accessible only to 12% of the youth in the age-group 18-24 years. The deprived sections of the society, especially women, have had limited access to higher education. Woman is still confined within the four walls of the home because their duties as good daughter, good wife and good mother, well defined by the Indian Patriarchal society. It is a sad commentary on women hood, the inability of women to realize her individual potential, trapped in a non reactive, terrified, male-centric life, which invites every type of atrocities against her. This denies woman safety, life security and educational opportunity from cradle to grave. These so called traditional convictions and stereotypes act as a strong barrier that prevent access to the women folks to the world of emancipation through the wings of higher education. When women and men have relative equality, economies grow faster, children's health improves and everybody can realize their individual potential, to contribute to their state and country's economic and social development. Hence the paper focuses on the traditional stereotypes which hinder their participation in higher education and the current profile of women in the higher education system of Kerala.