Conferences/Workshops
- The Centre for Women Studies organized series of “Springboard Women Development Workshop” for on-campus female faculty and housewives. In a series of four Workshops, the first one was conducted on 21st May, 2011 and the other three on 23rd July, 6th August and 15th September, 2011.The Workshops were conducted by Prof. Usha Pathania, Licensed Springboard Trainer.
- Consultation meeting on Feasibility of Empowering women through Collective Farming was organized at JUIT on May 30-31, 2012. This was sponsored by IWID (Initiatives: Women in Development). Dr. Neelavalli, Executive Director, IWID Chennai, Dr. Sitamma, Associate Director, Public Health Association of India, Hyderabad, Dr. Jyotsna Chatterjee, Director & Secretary Joint Women Program, New Delhi and Dr. Harsimran Kaur, Principal, Govt. Home Science College, Ludhiana along with Prof. Nirupama Prakash, Head HSS and Coordinator, Centre for Women Studies, JUIT and faculty members of the Department of HSS were the participants in the meeting. A national level research project on "Feasibility and Sustainability of SHARE Model of Collective farming in relation to Empowering Women in Himachal Pradesh” sponsored by Initiatives : Women in Development (IWID) was sanctioned as an outcome of the meeting.
- JUIT Centre of Women’s Studies organized a Brainstorming Workshop on, “Rejuvenating Women Workforce in 21st Century: Issues & Challenges” sponsored by Department of Management Studies, IIT Roorkee.
The workshop commenced with a small movie clip about the current status of women in India. It was followed by the chief guest, Smt. Sarveen Chaudhary, Honourable Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Himachal Pradesh , Dr. Y Medury, Chief Operating Officer, Jaypee Education system, Smt. Asha Swaroop, Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh, Prof. Ravi Prakash, Vice Chancellor, Smt. Ambika Sood, Chairperson, Himachal Pradesh State Commission for Women and Prof. Nirupama Prakash, Convenor taking their places on the dias.
Introduction of the theme by Prof. Nirupama Prakash, HOD, Dept. of Humanities & Social Sciences , JUIT was next. She spoke about the current scenario around the world and stressed on
1. UN millennium goal – Gender Equality
2. Slow progress in gender equality
3. Need for a just and equal world
4. Unemployment higher in women around the globe
5. Need to close the wage gaps between men and women
6. Participation of women lowest in Indian corporate world
7. Need to end discrimination.
This was followed by lighting of the lamp by the chief guest, Smt. Sarveen Chaudhary, Honourable Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Himachal Pradesh , Dr. Y Medury, Chief Operating Officer, Jaypee Education system, Dr. Ravi Prakash, Vice chancellor, JUIT, Smt. Asha Swaroop, Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh and Smt. Ambika Sood, Chairperson, Himachal Pradesh State Commission for Women.
Dr. Ravi Prakash, Vice chancellor, JUIT in his welcome address spoke about
1. JUIT and that he was proud to have 30% girl students, much higher than the national average for engineering colleges.
2. Providing a good environment when these girls join the working world
3. The UN Millenium Development goal of gender equality which addresses issues on ending gender discrimination, providing rights to women for education, health, nutrition and empowering them.
4. Increasing women’s role in leadership positions.
Dr. Medury in his keynote address spoke about
1. Education of the girl child
2. Political representation of women being critical for change
3. Equal economic opportunities for all
4. Social setup not being in sync with the changing role of women
5. Social consequences of the change in women’s status needs to be addressed
6. Progress in career being hampered by the middle layer in organizations being dominated by men
7. Balancing career and family
Smt. Sarveen Chaudhary, Honourable Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Himachal Pradesh in her address spoke about
1. The meaning of empowerment
2. Share in power for women if their situation has to improve
3. Women leadership at the grass root level key to change
4. Discussed women achievers from world history
5. Elaborated on govt. schemes in place in Himachal for upliftment of women specially in the field of education social security
6. Need for self confidence and trust in oneself
Smt. Asha Swaroop, Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh spoke next on
1. Special abilities women bring to the workplace
2. Highlighted how improvement in literacy leads to social change, citing the example of Himachal as a state
3. Emphasised women’s competence to shoulder responsibilities at the highest levels
4. Empowerment comes from maintaining a work life balance
5. Need for women to realize their potential and not indulge in self pity
6. Lack of quality child care facilities in India leading to late marriages and more women choosing to stay single
Followed by Smt. Ambika Sood, Chairperson, Himachal Pradesh State Commission for Women who spoke about
1. Better understanding between men and women leading to a healthier social set up.
2. Need for more of such platforms to increase awareness in society to how women empowerment works for all
3. Economic empowerment fights oppression
4. Discipline in life leading to a better society
This was followed by a vote of thanks and mementoes being given to the chief guest and participants of the workshop.
After tea break the brainstorming session commenced with Dr. Vijaya Aggarwal, Dr. Poornima Chauhan and Prof. Nirupama Prakash moderating the morning session.
Dr. Vijaya Aggarwal started the deliberations with introducing IIT Roorkee to everyone. She also spoke about
1. Need for creating awareness
2. Identifying critical issues for betterment of women
3. Working out solutions to common problems being faced by women workforce
4. Women’s role in enhancing national competitiveness in the knowledge economy
5. Highlighted underestimation of women as workers because of no pay or lower pay.
6. Need for a workshop of this kind and listed the issues that need to be discussed like awareness of knowledge economy, evolving strategies for national competitiveness, change required in the social setup by recognizing women as stakeholders and various policy measures for women.
Dr. Poornima Chauhan spoke about
1. Visibility of women is an issue wherein they do not want to be visible at times.
2. Multi tasking is a matter of perspective
3. Women issues are seen to be limited to health and education while actually a lot of areas need to be addressed.
4. Optimising and synergising of collective effort towards a better future.
5. Need for regular interface between society and organization
6. Roles played by multitasking women.
Mrs. Pratima Malhotra
She highlighted on the legal perspective.
She spoke about need for empowering children specially in the rural areas and lower strata of society against child abuse which is very common and horrifying.
Laws exist but people are not aware and hence victims don’t get justice
Girls are still forced into child marriages
Educating girls and women about sexual abuse and its redressal.
Mrs. Mamta Bhatia
1. There should be surety of security for women and sensitization for all regarding sexual harassment.
2. Awareness should be created for the same.
3. HR policies to specify behavioral training to reduce sexual abuse in the workplace
Dr. Gill
1. As women, hearing other women is very important.
2. Men think that the working women’s multitasking is a sham where there concentration is not focused towards either work or home.
3. A question raised on what all was being done after the Vishakha case. Whether gender sensitization was being done as the rules demand.
4. Women friendly policies for the workplace.
Mrs. Suman
1. Women friendly policies should be developed at workplace and implemented.
Dr. Pankaj
1. Suggestion of including men during policy making was given.
2. The middle class women are under a lot of stress which when prolonged leads to mental disorders.
3. Shameful that school and college children are facing sexual harassment in the educational institutions. Importance of physical and mental training to counteract this.
4. Media, specially advertising leading to deepening gender biases in society.
5. Stereotyping women as domestic labor
6. She stressed on the need for creating quality child care facilities at the workplace or at various points in cities and towns so that women could go to work with a free mind and children also do not suffer for lack of adequate care.
Prof. Meenakshi Paul
1. The society as a whole needs to become safer.
2. There should be a mentoring system for women at the workplace as there is for men.
3. Upgradation for women is must for their own growth in term of career.
4. Childcare leaves must be rationalized. Their professional upgradation process can take place during maternity leaves as well.
5. There should be re-enter policies for women who come after maternity leaves.
6. The household staff plays an important role since they are the caretakers of the household in their absence.
7. We need women to build their professional image-aspirants are not trained about their career trajectory.
8. Work life balance is a must for women
Mr. Sushil Tanwar
1. The women rights and policies must not just be on paper but must be implemented.
2. For mothers it is very important to have the right mindset in order to give right direction to their children and so that they too have the right mindset.
3. Parenting can be included at school level.
4. Violence against women must be addressed.
5. Regard for both the genders should be encouraged in the family.
6. Women rights must be treated as Human Rights.
Mr. Pawar
Spoke about girls being motivated for education and career but being held back by monetary concerns. However their numbers in colleges and universities is increasing.
In the post lunch session
Dr. Sonia Chadha expressed the view that work timings are unnecessarily stretched sometimes and leads to wasted efforts. Hence the need for flexitime and work from home options to be more in use.
Dr. Mamta Mokta
1. Involvement of religion in gender sensitization
2. Capacity building of women
3. Low recognition of women’s contribution
4. Property rights
5. Mentoring of women by women
Recommendations
1. Gender biased perceptions must be shifted.
2. Women must participate in decision making-training and capacity building must take place in this regard.
3. Women contributors must be recognized.
4. Implement gender policies.
5. Sexual harassment committee must be set up.
6. Networking and mentoring for women is must and henceforth must be there.
7. Conditioning of children must take place at school level as well as through parenting as a safeguard against child abuse.
8. Awareness for rights particularly against harassment must be spread.
9. Value education.
10. Women must act as change agents.
11. Deconstruction of stereotypes should be done.
12. Ensure equality and gender justice.
13. Respectful treatment must be given at workplace.
14. Enable an environment addressing equal opportunity.
15. Focus should shift to career trajectory.
16. Motivation with active mentoring and counseling must be done.
17. Upgradation of skills for constructive participation in decision making must be done.
18. Concept of re entry must be implemented.
19. Flexibility at workplace must be taken care of.
20. The system at workplace must be supportive.
- Department of Humanities & Social Sciences & JUIT Centre for Women’s Studies organized an International Conference on, “ Consultation and Experience Sharing on Role of Humanities and Social Sciences in Holistic Development of Future Technocrats- Looking Ahead” during September 23-24, 2011. The event was sponsored by Jaypee Education System