Women's representation in top leadership remains dangerously low, despite making up a sizable proportion of the education workforce. According to data, women serve as Vice-Chancellors (VCs) at only 11.18 per cent of Indian universities.
"Out of 1,073 universities under the ambit of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), just 120 have women VCs," Dr Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General of AIU, told The New Indian Express. Of them, 16 are in universities where the VC position is reserved solely for female applicants. India has around 1,200 universities, with almost 90 per cent affiliated with the AIU.
Women are increasingly taking up mid-level leadership responsibilities, such as Heads of Departments or Controllers of Examinations, but the top position remains elusive.
According to the report by The New Indian Express, prominent institutions having women VCs include Jawaharlal Nehru University, Dr Ambedkar University Delhi, Kashmir University, Allahabad University, Chaudhary Charan Singh University (previously Meerut University), and Dr Hari Singh University (Sagar University).
Uttar Pradesh has the most number of female VCs among states, with 19 among its 84 universities. Tamil Nadu, with 11 VCs in 56 universities, and Maharashtra, with 10 women in 79 universities, rank second and third, respectively.
Dr Mittal emphasised the need for gender-inclusive leadership, telling The New Indian Express that women VCs frequently lead with a strong sense of purpose, promoting projects that promote gender equity, mental health, student well-being, inclusive decision-making, and social responsibility.
“Their presence sends a powerful message: that leadership can be both strong and compassionate,” she said.
However, unseen barriers and structural biases continue to impact women's paths in higher education, whether as students, teachers, or future leaders.
"To break these barriers, institutions must move beyond symbolic gestures and commit to genuine, people-centric reforms," she made clear.
Dr Mittal addressed these concerns in her concept paper, Promoting Women-Led Development for Viksit Bharat, which she presented at the second national conference of women vice-chancellors held recently in Jharkhand.