The Event was organized in collaboration with Dr. Rita Singh and Dr. Minakshi Jha of the Sociology Department, BHU. Ms. Manuela Puricelli and Dr. Manasi Misha represented the CSR and managed the event. About 40 people gathered together, including PhD students, master students from several departments, including Sociology, Media & Communications, Arts, and English.
In the Panel: Prof. R.R. Jha, Dean, Prof. Sandhaya Singh Kaushik, Principal, MMV, Prof. Rita Singh and Dr. Minakshi.
Two plays were performed by a group of students and both were really well received by the audience. Content and delivery was very powerful. The plays interpreted several women’s issues, from arranged marriages, to the girl child discrimination, domestic violence and street harassment/safety in public spaces.
The event was attended by a gender mixed audience.
Among the 11 submitted presentations, Rachana Pandey’s (research Scholar, Department of English, BHU) was selected for its structure and well documented content. ‘Ageing Women: Question of Survival’ discussed the issue of ageing in India, analysing elderly care, health, social and financial issues faced by old women, and the relation between ageing, gender and sexualisation. The winning image is a photograph by Anupam Singh portraying a little girl transporting a gas tank.
Youth Suggestions:
Youth Suggestions are divided by topics, and although some might seem too abstract and hardly applicable in real life programmes, all participants made an effort to contribute to the discussion.
Women in Armed conflicts:
On the light of the abuses of the special armed forces operating in Cashmere and in the North East:
- Limiting special power or set up a machinery to watch their behaviours.
- Sensitisation of the governing bodies in remote areas.
- Encourage more women from the local region in the army and in the special forces.
Women and Media:
- Proper education regarding opposite sex at grass root level.
- Monitoring of media content.
- Portraying the role of empowered women can contribute substantially in the changing the mentality of society.
Violence Against Women:
- law should be implemented and we need awareness regarding these laws.
- Women should be educated to speak up.
- Women should be trained in self defense.
- End blind religious faith in rural areas.
Women and Health:
- Awareness should be created among women for their health rights and nutrition for all stages of life.
- Sensitization regarding women’s health should be created among family members and in society.
- Participation of women and girls should be increased in decision/making to raise their status within the family and community.
- Vocational and skilled training should be emphasized in policies and programmes to make them economically empowered.
