IIM Bodh Gaya is organising a 5-day residential Nurturing Future Leadership Programme (NFLP) for Women Academic Leaders under the aegis of the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme from 11th Nov to 15th Nov 2024. Funded by the Ministry of Education, the programme aims to address the critical underrepresentation of women in higher education leadership, and envisions to empower women in higher education in India. 

A report 'Women in Higher Education: Has the female advantage put an end to gender inequalities?' published by UNESCO in 2021 reported lack of women academicians at top positions. It found that while women are over-represented among teaching staff at entry-level jobs in higher education systems, their presence gradually declines at the top of the career ladder. 

At national level, a survey conducted by the Ministry of Education and published by All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) reported a difference of nearly 15% in women representation at Assistant Professor level (44.4%) and Professor level (29.1%). The report stressed on creating a gender-neutral environment and creating career progression opportunities to improve women representation. Further, a research conducted in 2021 reported that out of 1151 higher education institutions, only 110 (9.5%) are led by women. While institutes of eminence like Jawaharlal Nehru University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, IIT Kharagpur and IIM Bodh Gaya are presently led by women academic leaders, the country still lags behind. 

Prof Vinita Sahay, Director at IIM Bodh Gaya emphasizes that through the Nurturing Future Leadership Programme, we are committed to empowering women leaders who can inspire future generations. By organising a programme ‘for women, by women’, the programme envisions creating a supportive environment that promotes equity and drives meaningful change in higher education.

The NFLP aims to bridge this gap by creating an academic ecosystem that nurtures women leaders. IIM Bodh Gaya has taken a pioneering role by organising the maximum number of organising NFLPs, and envisions contributing significantly to addressing gender disparities in academic leadership. 

This programme is designed to equip participants with essential leadership skills, mindfulness practices, and networking strategies, ensuring they emerge as catalysts for positive change. The next batch of the programme will be organised from 6th Jan - 11th Jan 2025. Prospective women academics can login to MMTTP portal to register and become a part of the leadership programme.