2.5 Undergraduate University Enrollment

FIGURE 3 indicates the overall increase in women's enrollment in university during the 1970-1984 timeframe. FIGURES 4 and 5 elaborate on the general enrollment data by exploring the increase in particular subject areas.

These FIGURES show that:

• Women's overall university enrollment has increased substantially from 1970/1971 and again during the years of the Decade for Women, with the most dramatic increase occurring in part-time enrollment.
  
  It is possible that special efforts during the Decade may have encouraged more young women to enter university. It is also likely that the poor state of the economy during this timeframe contributed to the increase in university enrollment, since out-of-work students may have returned to or continued their education. However, the fact that women's enrollment rate grew faster than men's is likewise noteworthy.
  
  
• Increases in the percentage of women in the traditionally female disciplines (Education, Arts, Fine Arts) were modest but women continue to be represented disproportionately in them.
  
  
• The large increases in women's enrollment occurred in the less traditional disciplines, a trend that appears to have begun prior to the Decade and continued through it:
  
  - women's share of enrollment in Medicine increased by 51%, from 27% in 1975/1976 to 41% in 1983/1984
  
  - women's share of enrollment in Law increased by 73%, from 26% in 1975/1976 to 45% in 1983/1984
  
  - women's share of enrollment in Commerce increased by 109%, from 21% in 1975/1976 to 44% in 1983/1984
  
  - women's share of enrollment in Engineering increased by 120%, from 5% in 1975/1976 to 11% in 1983/1984, but remains well below their total share of undergraduate enrollment in this field.

It may be speculated that increasing university enrollment is closely related to and interactive with the increase in women's workforce participation. That is, as women now expect to remain in the workforce for most of their adult lives, they tend to seek a higher level of education. In turn, as women obtain a better education, they are more likely to put it to use in the workforce.

FIGURE 3

Changes in Undergraduate Enrollment of Women and Men
1970/71 to 1983/84

Source: Statistics Canada: Education in Canada (Annual) Cat. #81 - 229

A clear commitment on the part of educational institutions to create policy on part-time study which is of benefit to women (i.e., which takes into account women's other responsibilities) would likely result in further increases in the participation of women in the fields where they are presently under represented.