The Gender Gap in Higher Education: A Comparative Study of the UK and Bhutan

This paper discusses the existing gender gap in higher education in the UK and Bhutan. It explores the differences in enrollment numbers, subject choices, job satisfaction, and academic leadership positions. The UK has a higher number of women enrolling in universities, while Bhutan is making slow progress. Both countries have a gender pay gap and women face challenges in leadership roles.

Running head: THE GENDER GAP
THE GENDER GAP
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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The gender gap as a topic of discussion is certainly not simple and it is an issue that
cannot be easily sorted out. The relations between gender and schooling have been noted long
ago and since then have been a concern (Kaufmann, 2017). A gap is noted when it is perceived
from the gender dynamic in educational sector. The paper aims to discuss the ways gender gap
can be observed in the higher education. The paper will consider the UK and Bhutan for
presenting the existing gender gap in high school.
Gender imbalance across the educational institutes is not a new phenomenon in British
universities. Firstly in regard to enrolment numbers and subject studies, the UK have more
women students enrolling than it is in Bhutan. The gap existing between the number of women
and men applying to university has widened and can be seen in official figures. There are almost
98,000 more women than men who have applied to start degree courses lately. In the UK women
are found outnumbering men in approximately two-thirds of degree subjects (HESA, 2019).
Bhutan is making slow progress in tertiary enrollment which was reported 0.73905 per cent in
2013 (The World Bank, 2013).Women seems to be choosing subjects that are not STEM by
nature. There is growth in the women literacy rate however the numbers are less compared to the
men in the educational institute. Men are found dominating in the areas traditionally considered
male subjects such as engineering and some science. The subjects such as nursing are a place in
UK where women outnumber men by nine to one. Psychology also poses a gender divide
followed by social work, education and design. The competition rate is severely high as both the
genders are acquiring education with the aim of securing good job.
Secondly, it regard to graduates pay rates and job satisfaction, both the countries have
relevant gender gap. Although the UK has gender gap in the employment, the women
participation in the labor market have noted rise. The female employment rate in the UK is

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gradually increasing and can be noted by the female employment rate of 71.4 per centin 2018,
highest since 1971 (Powell, 2019).In Bhutan, the competition is rate is comparatively lower than
the UK however there is a large number population in Bhutan who move out of the nation for job
and higher studies. The women are not among the majority who are able to move out of the
country for various genders oriented stereotypes. Bhutan has a number of female populations in
the labor market and made tremendous progress however the quality of job still remains an
issue.While there is an increase in the women outnumber, in Bhutan the quality of job is an issue
as they are mostly involved in low paying agricultural job. Women in non-agricultural sector get
25 per cent less than the men (The World Bank, 2013).
Thirdly, when the academic leadership position is considered, condition of the gender gap
is severe in Bhutan while the UK has witnessed improvement. Although women are found in the
leadership role in the UK, they are mostly associated with general roles or with low salary
compared to the males (Powell, 2019). In Bhutan women are seen less in leadership roles due to
social gender roles (The World Bank, 2019).
The gender gap is an issue that is rooted deeply in the society and it can be encountered
in every aspects of society.Comparing both the countries, the UK is certainly having gradual
growth however Bhutan has a long way to go in terms of eliminating the gender gap from higher
education.

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References:
Powell, A(2019), the house of common library, Retrieved from:
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06838/SN06838.pdf
HESA, Figure 4 - HE student enrolments by personal characteristics 2013/14 to 2017/18. (2019).
Retrieved from https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb252/figure-4
Kaufmann, K. M. (2017). The gender gap. In Beyond Red State and Blue State (pp. 104-120).
Routledge.
The World Bank, Education and Economic Empowerment of Women in Bhutan Could Address
the Gender Gap in Happiness. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/12/04/education-economic-
empowerment-women-bhutan-gender-gap-happiness