Summary
Gender disparity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in higher education is a matter of concern across the world. Expansion of the higher education sector in the early twenty-first century in India has enabled to bring attitudinal changes in Indian families especially towards females' STEM higher education. The present study aims to understand the trend in gender parity in STEM disciplines at various levels of higher education in India through All India Survey on Higher Education, Government of India (2010-2011 to 2018-2019). The study uses the Gender Parity Index (GPI) method to calculate the status of female in STEM higher education. The results show that there is gender parity in overall disciplines at under-graduation, post-graduation, and M.Phil. levels. In STEM disciplines, enrolment of female is higher than male in biological sciences at all levels, but physical sciences show lower enrolment of female. Computer engineering, information technology, and electronics engineering have shown improvement in enrolment of female within the engineering and technology category. Gender parity is poor in mechanical engineering, civil engineering, and electrical engineering at all levels of higher education. The complex and multi-layered gender relations in wider society impact females' access to STEM higher education and employment

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
- In this article, a study of gender parity in higher education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education is carried out. It does not carry out any kind of integration between the disciplines, but rather a study in general.
- The study uses the Gender Parity Index (GPI) method to understand the situation of females in STEM higher education.
- A qualitative study
- The results show that there is gender parity in overall disciplines at under-graduation, post-graduation, and M.Phil. levels. In STEM disciplines, enrolment of female is higher than male in biological sciences at all levels, but physical sciences show lower enrolment of female. Computer engineering, information technology, and electronics engineering have shown improvement in enrolment of female within the engineering and technology category. Gender parity is poor in mechanical engineering, civil engineering, and electrical engineering at all levels of higher education. The complex and multi-layered gender relations in wider society impact females’ access to STEM higher education and employment

It surveys different STEM-related higher education careers for gender disparity.

Point of Strength
The results shown in different careers the gender disparity that exists, with some tending to be more female and others male.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2021.1946867

Keywords
Engineering, gender parity, higher education, mathematics, cience, technology