16 Mar 2011|Noida | Amity University Uttar Pradesh
Male Counterpart need to give more space to women opines Dr. Bhishma Narain Singh during a Seminar on “Women Empowerment: Issues and Challenges” at Amity
A two day Seminar on “Women Empowerment” as part of the three weeks long celebration of International Women’s Day by Amity Institute of Social Sciences and Amity Institute of NGO Management kick started at the Amity Campus, Sector – 125, Noida.
Women’s empowerment has to be seen in all areas physical, socio cultural, religious, political, legal and economic areas. It is most significant to take care of women’s awareness consciousness, choices with alternatives, resources at their disposal, voice, agency and participation in every aspect. These are all related to enhancement of women’s capabilities and decisions they take individually or collectively for themselves. In case of education, training to prepare educational programmes for women’s empowerment need to integrate the four components: gender issues, work oriented activities, literacy and sklls and principles of curriculum design.
The speakers invited during the two day seminar will dwell upon various women oriented issues like
Political Decentralization for Women, Women’s Health, Violence Against Women and Economic Empowerment.
Dr. Bhishma Narain Singh, Former Cabinet Minister and Governor of Assam and Ms. Neera Mishra, Chairperson Draupadi Trust, Member Advisory Board FICCI inaugurated the two day Seminar on
“Women Empowerment”. Dr. Amita Chauhan, Chairperson, Amity International Schools and Maj Gen. K. Jai Singh, Vice Chancellor, Amity University Uttar Pradesh also graced the occasion.
Dr. Bhishma Narain Singh, Former Cabinet Minister and Governor of Assam in his inaugural address quoted Mahatma Gandhi by saying that equality and liberation meant freedom for all. Therefore, it is wrong to keep women in ignorance and under suppression. Thus women empowerment rightly understood shall enable women to act on behalf of the entire global community for betterment of civilization and also to take control of themselves and their affairs. The empowerment process need to begin at two levels- firstly, at the level of male counterparts to give more space to women and secondly, in today’s context particularly in urban settings, is at the level of women folk themselves need to take charge of their affairs.
There is an urgent need to have special focus on empowering women and girls, because they hold the key to long-lasting positive social change in communities. It is our moral, social and constitutional responsibility to ensure their progress by providing them with equal rights and opportunities. There are certain key issues and linkages for women empowerment in the society. They are Reproductive health guarantee by the government, Economic empowerment, Educational empowerment and Political empowerment, commented
Dr. Bhishma Narain Singh.
Dr. Bhishma Narain Singh concluded his speech with the message to the women folk that they need to be bold and confident in their approach as a whole new era is beckoning their arrival, awaiting to unfold itself with new opportunities dependent on women empowerment.
While speaking on rich Indian culture and heritage,
Ms. Neera Mishra, Chairperson Draupadi Trust, Member Advisory Board FICCI said, “we are still struggling to bring equality for women in the society. It is due to the fact that we are not rooted to our culture and aping the bad qualities of Western culture. But the Westerners have better understood that India has a rich cultural heritage. Soul, mind and values take count of our heritage. If we go back to our Indian cultural heritage, Draupadi was the first liberated women who fought for equal status to take on the challenge faced on the value system of the society.”
Ms. Neera Mishra urged the current generation to nourish their roots as Indians have a culture which throughout the ages has learnt a lot. Lot of crimes take place these days since there is social imbalance in society. Therefore, to bring social balance in the society, there is a need to get ourselves culturally educated.
Welcoming and addressing the august gathering,
Dr. Amita Chauhan, Chairperson, Amity International Schools said, “since my childhood I have never felt under-privileged as a woman. But everyday I come across news on women’s suffering due to the various social evils that exist in the society. On one hand, in Indian culture women are worshipped and on the other women are suffering due to various social ailments. Women as a mother, wife and sister are selflessly performing their role in a perfect way but are not getting respect and recognition by the society. To make the society good and its people happy, the women of the society need to be happy. Social evils like dowry and women feticide need to be uprooted. A happy mother can inculcate good values in a child.”