Monitoring Gender Equality in Student Graduation and Academic Success

Previous Next

An-Najah National University (ANNU) upholds a strong institutional commitment to gender equality in higher education. The University systematically tracks, analyzes, and promotes the academic success and graduation trends of female and male students across all faculties and programs. This continuous monitoring process ensures that women’s likelihood of graduating equals or exceeds that of men, affirming ANNU’s dedication to inclusive and equitable education.

Systematic Monitoring through the Zajel Academic Platform

To ensure evidence-based decision-making, ANNU utilizes its comprehensive Zajel Academic Information System to monitor students’ academic progress from enrollment to graduation.
Through Zajel, the University collects and disaggregates data by gender, faculty, and study level, including indicators such as:

• Enrollment numbers by gender and field of study

• Retention and dropout rates

• Cumulative GPA distribution

• Average years to graduation

• Annual graduation rates

The system enables real-time visualization of gender-disaggregated data for internal monitoring and reporting to the Deanship of Admission and Registration, Deanship of Student Affairs, and An-Najah Alumni Unit.

Monitoring Trend Analysis (2019 – 2024)

ANNU’s five-year data analysis demonstrates that female students consistently achieve equal or higher graduation rates compared with male students across most disciplines.

Trend Observation:

Between 2019 and 2024, the graduation rates for both female and male students improved steadily:

• The female graduation rate increased by 4.8 percentage points, while the male rate rose by 6 points, indicating balanced institutional progress.

• The gender gap narrowed from 3% in 2019–2020 to just 1.8% in 2023–2024, confirming the absence of systemic disparity.

• Faculties with historically higher male enrollment (such as Engineering and IT) show significant improvement in female completion rates, reflecting successful gender inclusion efforts.

• The consistent pattern of gap below 3% across five years demonstrates ANNU’s sustained gender equity in academic success and the effectiveness of its data-driven monitoring through the Zajel System.

Schemes and Support Programs to Close Any Potential Gaps

Even though ANNU’s graduation trends show near-parity, the University proactively implements several support schemes to sustain and enhance equality:

• Early Academic Alert System: Identifies students at academic risk (through Zajel analytics) and provides targeted tutoring and counseling.

• Student Mentorship Program: Pairs female students with academic mentors and alumni for career and research guidance.

• Scholarship and Financial Aid: Ensures equitable access to funding opportunities for both genders, with specific attention to supporting women in STEM fields.

• Career Readiness and Internship Programs: Administered through the Career and Alumni Unit to strengthen female graduates’ transition to the workforce.

• Psychological and Social Counseling Unit: Offers gender-sensitive support addressing personal or socio-economic barriers that might affect academic completion.

5. Continuous Monitoring and Review

The Deanship of Admission and Registration, in coordination with the Institutional Research and Quality Assurance Units, conducts annual gender-based graduation analyses and reports results to the University Council.
Findings are used to:

• Identify early trends or emerging gaps

• Recommend corrective actions for faculties

• Inform policy development aligned with SDG 5 indicators

This process ensures that any deviation from parity is immediately addressed through tailored interventions.

 “An-Najah National University affirms that women and men have equal likelihood of graduating, supported by systematic, transparent, and data-driven monitoring mechanisms. The University remains committed to maintaining this parity as part of its inclusive excellence and contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”