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SUMMARY OF
FINDINGS
Education and Training
- Women's participation in education improved and their level
of educational attainment increased between 1976 and 1985. This is an important
improvement since rates of employment and unemployment are closely linked to
level of education.
- Women's overall education level is very close to that of
men.
- Women's share of enrollment in universities is approaching
that of men.
- In 1983/84, women's share of undergraduate enrollment
was 52%. Growth has now slowed, as might be expected since women comprise half
of the population.
- There has been continuous growth in women's share
of enrollment in graduate studies (from 29% in 1975/76 to 40% in 1983/84).
Women's participation in non-traditional fields of study
continued to increase during the Decade. In spite of advances. it is still low
in some areas, especially at the graduate level.
- At the undergraduate level:
- In Sciences, from 33%
in 1975/1976 to 39% in 1983/1984
- In Medicine, from 27% in 1975/1976 to
41% in 1983/1984
- In Law, from 26% in 1975/1976 to 45% in 1983/1984
-
In Commerce, from 21% in 1975/1976 to 44% in 1983/1984.
- In graduate studies, women's share of enrollment in
traditionally male-dominated disciplines also increased:
- In
Agriculture and Biological Sciences, from 27% in 1975/1976 to 36% in 1983/1984
- In Health and Medicine, from 28% in 1975/1976 to 39% in 1983/1984.
Women's current level of participation still remains unacceptably low
in such areas as:
- Engineering and Applied Science: under-graduate,
from 5% in 1975/1976 to 11% in 1983/1984; graduate, from 4% in 1975/1976 to 10%
in 1983/1984.
- In graduate level Math and Physical Sciences from 14%
in 1975/1976 to 19% in 1983/1984.
- An important development in women's university enrollment
has been the increase in the area of part-time education:
- Availability of part-time study seems to be concentrated in
the subject areas where women predominate. However, as more women enter a
discipline, more part-time options are created in that discipline, apparently
as a response to some women's preference, or need, for study on a part-time
basis.
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