Casual sexism, blatant moral policing, and being highly under-represented have made up my core memories of growing up as a woman, even in the 21st century. However, after studying at one of the finest institutions in my country for over a year now, my experience of womanhood has drastically changed. I have seen myself thrive in the close-knit community of the Lady Shri Ram College for Women and it accepts me for who I am.
If this account intrigues you enough, dive into the past and the present of women's colleges by giving this article a quick read!
Let us slide into your dms 🥰
Get notified of top trending articles like this one every week! (we won't spam you)Liberation Through Literacy

Image Credits: Library of Congress via Unsplash
Historically, higher education for women meant an overbearing reliance on private tutoring. Not everyone had the privilege to afford private tutors, rendering the rates of female literacy incredibly low.
Some courses that were catered to women specifically only provided them with vocational training and religious instruction.
Reforms for women to study specific disciplines holistically arrived in the nineteenth century. Wesleyan College in Georgia, USA, became the first all-women’s college in the world in 1836. The Seven Sister Colleges were then established in various parts of the country. These colleges were also referred to as the ‘Ivy League for Women’ due to their academically rigorous environments.

Image Credits: SyauqiFillah via Pixabay
In Asia, Bethune College, located in Kolkata, India, became the first women’s college in the continent. It allowed more women to get a degree and pursue a profession that would enable them to be independent.
In Africa, higher secondary education for women became a possibility in the late twentieth century. The Ahfad University for Women, Sudan became the first all-women’s institution in 1966. The university is one of its kind, as it was founded on a familial tradition for educating girls in the country. It has still maintained its iconic academic legacy.
The establishment of women’s colleges all around the world enabled women to break the shackles of oppression, serving as a huge milestone in the history of civil rights. It gave women the opportunity to go beyond the precincts of their homes. They could now become more than just meek child-bearers, gaining liberation through literacy.
Take the Quiz: What Studying Strategy Should You Try?
Take this quiz to find out how you should study for your next test!
Perks Over Prejudice
Image Credit: Pexels via Pixabay
“Doesn't it get boring without boys on campus?”
“Don't women keep fighting over everything all the time?”
“Do you spend your time gossiping or studying?”
These are the top three questions I have had to answer in the past year after telling people that I do not study at a co-ed college. While answering questions like these does get extremely infuriating, I do not at all regret my decision to study at an all-woman’s college.
That's mainly because the perks of studying at my college outweigh the prejudice that prevails against all women’s institutions in society.

Image Credit: _badun via Pixabay
Some of these perks include:
1. Unbiased Environment
A women’s college is highly empowering, since it allocates its students opportunities based on capabilities and not gender.
All voices matter, regardless of race and class. Additionally, women also do not have to compete with males for basic resources, ensuring that their academic needs are better fulfilled. Usually, these colleges have a smaller student body size, allowing individuals to gain maximum personalized attention.
2. Better Representation
Most of these colleges offer programs in the arts and sciences, allowing more and more women to choose diverse career pathways.
Such institutions also bridge the gender gap that exists in fields like STEM and finance because they offer women a direct entryway into these areas. Women from marginalized communities have better chances of being seen and appreciated in an all-woman’s college instead of a co-ed college, wherein they stand doubly oppressed.
3. Higher Levels of Personal Growth
Studying in a setting devoid of bias and under-representation, women get the opportunity to hone their leadership skills and contribute to society on a wider scale. Studies have proven that women studying at an all-women’s college gain larger salaries, go on to be more philanthropic, and excel as board members of Fortune 1000 companies.
Solidarity Through Scholastics

Image Credits: Museums Victoria via Unsplash
From relying on private tuition to stepping into the male-dominated field of STEM, women's education has empowered them economically, socially, and politically. Yet we still have a long way to go in terms of eradicating gender inequality.
In such a scenario, women's colleges provide women with a community in which they can discuss the problems that plague their lives. In such academic communities, it becomes even easier for women to act collectively on social issues. All women's colleges continue to be a platform for women to speak out against injustices. A study conducted by the Liberal Arts Colleges forum showcased that women's colleges are more accepting of the LGTBQIA+ community and the freshmen receive more funds through institutional grants. Some other data points
establish that contemporary debates around the gender pay gap and the lack of inclusion women in policy-making could only be solved through the increased representation of female students through women's colleges, making their roles in imparting education even more vital.
Even though these institutions are not spoken about enough, their historical legacies and perks speak for themselves and reflect the vision of a world that's more equitable as well as accessible.