Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

This proposal, which requires universities to accept equal numbers of men and women in every subject, is well-1intentionedintended, seeking to promote fairness and gender inclusivity in higher education. However, giving men and women equal opportunities to study does not justify enforcing an identical gender split in every subject. I completely disagree with this proposal because it is illogical and potentially counterproductive.

For this equal-quota policy to work, two preconditions would need to be satisfied. First, each faculty must be able to achieve a gender-balanced cohort after its selection process. Second, students’ subject choices must be evenly distributed by gender. Unfortunately, neither of these conditions can be reliably met within real education systems.

Meeting the first precondition proves impractical. In some regions where religious or cultural norms restrict female schooling, there is an acute shortage of female candidates for certain university degrees, let alone gender equality in admissions. Even in societies where women’s educational rights are now widely recognised, this target remains difficult to attain. This is because admissions systems, fundamentally prioritising academic merit over gender parity, cannot guarantee equal gender intake. Variations in entry criteria and subject demand also skew applicant pools by gender. Even when assessment rules are entirely impartial, a gender-balanced final cohort cannot be secured.

Even if all obstacles to satisfying the first precondition 2wereare somehow overcome, the second requirement also presents major difficulties. Subject preferences are shaped by a complex mix of personal interest, cultural 3socialisationsocialization and career expectations. They therefore do not naturally fall into an even gender split. To guarantee gender equality in every subject, compulsory quotas are frequently advocated as a straightforward mechanism. 54Admittedly,That said, such quotas can challenge long-standing stereotypes, such as the assumption that nursing is inherently feminine and mechanical engineering is a male domain. However, such gains are short-lived, and this policy remains counterproductive: universities may compromise admissions fairness to admit lower-scoring applicants, and students may be forced into subjects they would not otherwise choose. Such measures, in turn, undermine the very educational equality they aim to 6achievedeliver. An alternative is for universities to run pre-university outreach programmes. These encourage prospective students to explore fields traditionally dominated by one gender 7thereby mitigating biased perceptions and diminishingand thereby mitigate biased perceptions and diminish gender disparities across disciplines.

In summary, this mandatory parity policy in every subject remains both unrealistic and counterproductive, even though its goal of fairer higher education is admirable. Where educational disadvantage runs deep, targeted affirmative action can support vulnerable learners 9and broaden accessto increase educational access. True gender equity rests on inclusive support and merit-based selection rather than rigid enrolment 10targetsfigures.