Gender Disparity in Access to Higher Education: A Review of the Literature with Special Reference to the Omani Context

Abstract

‘Education for All’ is the call of UN and its sub-organisation the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) that emphasises that education is a human right for all. However, access to education has been challenged with many obstacles, especially in higher education. One of these challenges is gender inequality, a significant factor that educational providers and policymakers must consider. This paper reviews pertinent literature to discuss higher education access and equality globally, and then sheds light on gender equality, with a special reference to the Omani context. The Omani experience with regard to access reflects gender disparity although statistics show that more female students are admitted to higher education institutions than males. This article questions the 50:50 admission policy that has resulted in admitting males with lower scores while depriving many eligible females of the very same opportunity. The article suggests investigating the causes behind this policy further and making amendments to ensure quality and good achievement in education by both genders and equality for access to HE. Keywords: Higher Education, gender, disparity, Oman, access