HYDERABAD, Jan 30: A professor of psychology of University of Punjab has said that role of universities is not only important for the social, political and economic transformation of societies but also for national development.

Dr Najma Najam was delivering a lecture on “Gender mainstreaming: socio-economic empowerment with special reference to women in higher education” organised by the Institute of Women Development Studies University of Sindh Jamshoro on Tuesday.

She said universities are regarded as key institution for social change and development.

She said without understanding the need for creating and encouraging opportunities for women, societal and national transformation would remain lopsided.

Highlighting the role of universities in national development she said higher educational institutions provide skilled human resources and research output to meet economic and social needs.

Speaking about women’s role in higher education, she said women enter higher education in larger numbers but seldom attain senior level positions.

She said at present only a few women are working at higher management levels while a few at decision making level.

The scholar said that we only need to remove barriers created by institutions.

Dr Najma Najam said that the need is to change radically to ensure a just, equitable and representative higher education system where each can contribute to the national development without gender bias.

University of Sindh Vice-Chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui said the university has been providing equal opportunities to boys and girls in education as well as employment without any gender discrimination.

Director Institute of Women Development Studies (IWDS) University of Sindh Dr Parveen Shah said that data from many countries showed that administration in higher education remains the domain of men and added that proportion of women decreases significantly as women move up the academic and occupational ladder.

Referring to a Unesco common wealth report on women in higher education management, Prof Shah said that the report showed that with hardly any exception, men outnumbered women at about five to one at mid management level and about twenty to one at senior management level; women deans and professors are in majority but women vice-chancellors and presidents are still a rarity.

LECTURE: Prof (Dr) M Masoom Yaseen Zai of the University of Balochistan, was the guest speaker at a two-day National Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry lecture series held at the University of Sindh.