Women's education in the Western Ghats region in Karnataka has a long history. The region has seen several efforts in this direction by the local rulers as far back as 1854 and later the state governments. While Wood's Despatch of 1854 brought many reforms in education in India this was followed by various commissions and committees which gave a fillip to women's education. After 1956 and up to 1976 these initiatives were part of development programmes implemented with the active participation of NGOs to empower women, especially tribal women. After 1976 mass literacy campaigns, environmental and women's movements have contributed extensively to the progress of women's education. This region of Karnataka has also seen considerable private investment in women's education.
