Is the declining number of women’s colleges and the constant debate around it a step in the right direction, or do we need more such spaces, that, though they might be segregated, are still strong foundations of support for its members? Are they still seen as havens of empowered sisterhood or relics of a bygone age?
To go to an all-women’s college in order to experience freedom and broader horizons may seem counter-productive, an oxymoron, even. But when you realise how an environment full of women who are career-oriented, focussed, and fully supportive of each other can help you grow to your full potential, you come to see them in a new light.
Says Seerat Sandhu, analyst at Goldman Sachs, “My education at an all-women’s college, Scripps, gave me the confidence to be my most authentic self. It was not a bubble, and it was not a “catty” environment. It was empowering, and helped me come on to the path of becoming an investment banker.” Adds Indu Upadhyay from Bryn Mawr, who works in policy, “Attending a women’s college helped me break down my own stereotypes and limitations. Such spaces open your mind to a diversity of cultures, ideas, and gender inclusivity.” Damini Mohan from Barnard feels her college has given her a sense of community and fearlessness, while learning how to work with a spirit of cooperation, collaboration, and not unhealthy competition.
The history of these women’s colleges has been chequered. While it was only as late as 1836 that the first fully functional all-women’s college became operational in the USA, it was in the 1960s that the first co-educational college came into existence, and even today the old-fashioned word used exclusively for women students - “co-eds”, is tossed around.
Today, there are fewer than 40 all-women’s colleges remaining operational in the USA. There are fewer still in the UK, with Newnham remaining one of the last few - St. Hilda’s of Cambridge started admitting men in 2008. This process of making same-sex institutions into mixed gender hasn’t been easy, with non-violent protests breaking out at the all-women’s Mills College when there was a court decision to convert them to mixed-gender, which eventually led to the decision being reversed.
Let’s start first with the courses offered by these colleges, and their “usefulness”. These colleges mostly have a reputation of offering liberal arts choices, but that reputation may not always be well-founded. Spelman College, for instance, is known for its excellent economics studies, while Smith is known for its engineering course - ranking 79 all over the USA, and 9 in the state of Massachusetts. And Barnard, with its Ivy League stature, has a multitude of study options, with its faculty excelling in everything from neuroscience to political science.