Female share of higher education in the Arab region, achievements and obstacles

Female share of higher education in the Arab region, achievements and obstacles (in private education in particular)

Abstract

Our present era is characterized as the era of the scientific and technological revolution, the era of using computers in various life facilities, and the era of global openness through global communication and information networks. It is the era of "globalization" that moved us from focusing on the local and national to the global community, and affected all economic, cultural and informational fields and the relations between individuals and their movement, so that no country can no longer consider itself isolated from the effects of international events and developments, and we have to learn to live in the global village.
As from here, our era is characterized as an era of rapid development in all aspects of life, which is expected to continue amazingly in the twenty-first century. Which puts us in front of many difficult challenges.
The main criterion for power in the global system over the next three decades will be information and advanced technology, along with population size, area and resources. And the person who is able to live will be the person who is able to deal with the flood of information, permanent learning, retraining and rehabilitation (Nofal, 1992, p. 8).
In addition, we are witnessing the spread of democratic ideas and the increasing participation of the masses in decision-making at all levels of society, and the focus on public freedoms, human rights and social justice. Which requires each of us to have autonomy and a sense of responsibility (UNESCO, 1996b).
This is in addition to what we are witnessing of the emergence of a basic and leadership role for women in society, at the various political, economic and social levels, not only in developed Western societies, but also in some Asian and developing countries, so that some consider the emergence of the role of women in leadership as one of the characteristics of the twenty-first century.
For example, see: Naisbitt & Aburdene, 1990 and Naisbitt, 1996.
And with the increase of giant economic blocs, and the attempt to transform the economies of the developing countries into a capitalist market economy and link them to the global economy, and with the free economic system that gives way to free trade and the flow of goods, competition in global markets intensifies so that the survival of the fittest, the best and the least expensive has become. This cannot be available in a country unless its people have distinct experiences and skills that compete with the experiences and skills enjoyed by the people of other countries.
All these circumstances have led to an increasing need for specialists, thinkers and creators, and human resources development has become a matter of life and death for various societies, especially developing ones - and our Arab countries - so that they can achieve comprehensive development and bridge the large gap that separates them from developed countries.