`` UGC-Sponsored Two Day National Seminar On Women Leaders
Transcription
`` UGC-Sponsored Two Day National Seminar On Women Leaders
`` UGC-Sponsored Two Day National Seminar On Women Leaders and Achievers in Various Fields - Documentation and Publication of their Struggles and Contributions Department of Women’s Studies, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli-620023, Tamil Nadu. 23rd &24th February-2015 ************** About the University Bharathidasan University was established in February 1982, and was named after the great revolutionary Tamil Poet, Bharathidasan (1891-1968). The motto of the University "We will create a brave new world" has been framed from Bharathidasan's poetic words " ". The University endeavors to be true to such a vision by creating in the region a brave new world of academic innovation for social change". (NAAC, - 2005, p.69) The year 2006-07 is a Silver Jubilee year for this great and vibrant University Department of Women’s Studies Department of Women’s Studies, Bharathidasan University was established with the support of UGC as Centre for Women’s Studies during 2004-05. The Department offers M.A, M.Phil and Ph.D Programmes in both Gender and Women’s Studies. In addition, the Department has been continuously engaging in research with the support of various International, National and Regional funding agencies, engages in offering various training, conducting seminars, workshops and conferences on various need based vital areas, documenting the activities and disseminates the outcomes in the form of publications, monographs, working papers etc. It also involves in collaboration, networking, advocacy and lobbying to influence the State, Civil Society, etc to realize the objective of moving towards gender equality. It was instrumental in introducing Foundation Course on Gender Studies to Under Graduate levels of affiliated colleges of the Bharathidasan University and published books on Gender Studies in both English and Tamil languages. It serves as mentor for developing proposals for UGC Women’s Studies. A well equipped library serves as a one of the best common resource centers for students and faculty members in an interdisciplinary subjects. The government sponsored skill training and incubator projects for grass root women, Legal Aid Clinic and counseling centers are established for women in distress, placement is arranged for the students. The expertise of the faculty members on Gender Sensitization, Entrepreneurship Skill Development, Life Skills and Counseling, Research Skills, Development Consultant, mentoring towards women empowerment initiatives, etc are available for Academic Institutions, NGOs, State, Corporate, Public Sector, Political leaders, Technical Institutions, Police, Health, Service sector, civil society organizations etc. Seminar Theme Background Women are emerging as a contributive force and it becomes inevitable for the society to enfold them into the development process. Towards Marching on 21st Century, the women in India have been proving and excel in various fields and becoming role models. Thanks to the Women’s Movements, Women’s Organizations, Feminists etc who articulated and voiced one for women’s rights. The credit also goes to gender sensitive and socially concerned citizens who made it possible for women’s presence in public sphere, playing crucial role in economic, social and political fields, occupy leadership positions in various vital organs of the state, administering effectively to emphasis the social change. Even though the society domesticated and made women to confine to private space, forced to look after the social and biological reproductive activities by keeping away from the monetary economy, failed to recognize their capabilities and denied fair chance of equal representation, excluded from public discourse, decision making in household and community, it was possible for some women make a difference, broke the stereotypes and to contribute towards alternative thinking process. Such phenomenon liberated women and girls to participate and contribute to social emancipation. Thanks to foreparents who made it happen with their commitment and sacrifice which enabled the present generation to move towards realizing fair distribution and social justice. History cannot be changed in documenting the contributions of such women who made a difference in questioning the kind of inequalities and social injustices prevailed in the society. The women who made themselves visible in various fields articulated scientifically the need to enfold every individual be it men or women or transgender to be inclusive to address the multiple inequalities in terms of class, caste, race, ethnic, language, religion, region, gender etc. Women have been placed at the bottom of the all forms of social discrimination and experienced historically all disadvantages, including sexual harassment, alienation, non-cooperation, character assassination etc and got ridiculed and demotivated by the social system. In order to, address such undemocratic and inhuman social attitude, several women had continuously struggled both individually and in movement and succeeded in getting the space for women. There is an urgent need to document the experiences of such struggles at grass root, public life, academic field, industry and entrepreneurship, science and technology, space research, environment, media, social sector, or unconventional areas like Defense, Police etc, which were treated as domains of men, it serves as a learning resource on the one hand and demonstrated the “We can Change” attitude on the other. Though at the surface level, it is revealing that more and more women are joining development fields, for several women it was not bed of roses. Many women suffered in silence but still never gave it up and sustained in social life. Family might have refrained from support to prove their potential and capabilities, their mobility, non-conventional idology in the given cultural context etc. But several contemporary women who proved and excelled as role models with self motivation or motivated by society, whose experiences have not been documented for the benefit of future generations. One of the reasons why women still shy away from joining social life is the absence of models, mentors, motivators who would serve as guides to sensitize towards the multiple injustices prevailed upon and experienced by women. In this background the Two Day National Seminar on “Women Leaders and Achievers in Various Fields, Documentation and Publication of their Struggles and Contributions” is conceived. The seminar invites original contributions from researchers, teachers, students NGOs etc, who broke the traditions, stood for the principles, and built an alternative perspective to move towards gender equality with social justice. Objective To document and publish both on visual and printing modes, the contributions of unsung heroines, unheard voices, invisible, unrecognized in the social history in terms of areas of contributions, perspectives, struggles and hardships, recognitions, ideologies, strategies of sustenance etc. Major Theme: Document and Present the women who still stay as unsung heroines in various fields in different parts of the country, from rural, socially and economically backward, challenging cultural contexts, whose experiences deserve formal documentation and visibility. Both visual and written documentation case studies. Sub Themes The contributors may present and document using Feminist Research Methods with the application of qualitative techniques on the following sub themes, which are however not exhaustive. Living Experiences, Challenges, Struggles of women in public life, including economic, social and political fields to occupy and sustain in leadership positions at the National, Regional, State and local in the contemporary historical contexts. Women who mobilized people for social change at grass root in their respective regions and outside in the field of education, environment, bio-diversity, science and, technology, entrepreneurship, micro credit etc. Women who have established institutions to mainstream gender concerns and offered space for women to interact. Women who questioned the social institutions such as religion, caste, cultural norms, etc and lead a light to others Women succeeded in creating social change Gender Sensitive Women mentors and Role Models in non-conventional areas Professional women who have contributed to social change and women empowerment, balancing home and career Women who have questioned the sociocultural institutional norms and mobilized people to contribute to alternative social norms to be inclusive and equitable. Women business, academic, political, administrative leaders who introduced new norms questioning the existing the traditional and backward social norms, which were unfair to women. The strategies followed by various women, their self introspection, fight and struggles faced to put the women into the centre of development Women without any supportive background who contributed towards social change. The struggles of women who emerged as first in various fields and their experiences which are not much documented Women who have influenced other women to follow them to ensure social justice, the kind of experience faced while reaching their goal Difficulties of women with alternative perspectives, in survival, rewards, penalties, sacrifices, personal loss and the lessons. Destitute women who emerged as leaders Original contributions are invited on the role model women, mentors whose experience deserved to be documented to inform to the future generation the kind of struggles and cautions that a women who enters public life to undergo. It can be women from any field including academic, business, science, research, space research, politics, literature and poets, journalist, police and defense, bursary, administrative services, policy makers in public sector, corporate, banks, social sector, social activists, farmers, media, arts, music, to grass root wage operators, tractor, bus, taxi, auto drivers, priests, SHG women, NGOs, Women Awardees etc. Women who made original contributions within your own locality will be encouraged to present. Papers and video document are encouraged to be presented by academic institutions, women’s organizations, NGOs, Women’s Associations and others. Those who wish to submit their papers may send in both hard and soft copies in Times New Roman font 12 size, through mail to: [email protected], [email protected] Submission Deadlines: Abstract of around 300 words to be submitted on or before Feb 15th 2015 Full paper around 5000 words to be submitted on or before Feb 20th 2015 Registration Fee: Faculty Members: Rs. 300 Students and Research Scholars: Rs. 200 NGOs and Institutions: Rs. 500 The demand draft may be drawn in favour of National Seminar, Department of Women’s Studies, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli Tiruchippalli is a centrally located city in Tamil Nadu and well connected with road, rail and air. Travel and Accommodation may need to be borne by the participants. Those who wish to have accommodation may send a request. It will be arranged as per the local tariff in hotels and the University guesthouse Seminar Co-ordinators: Prof.N.MANIMEKALAI, Director and Head, Dr.S.SUBA, Asst. Professor, Department of Women’s Studies, Bharathidasan University, (Khajamalai Campus), Tiruchirapalli-23, Tamil Nadu. [email protected] website: www.bdu.ac.in +919443030863 +919443923839 0431-2333627E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]. website www.bdu.ac.in DEPARTMENT OF WOMEN’S STUDIES BHARATHIDASAN UNIVERSITYKHAJAMALAI CAMPUS, TIUCHIRAPPALLI-23 Registration Form UGC-Sponsored Two Day National Seminar On Women Leaders and Achievers in Various Fields, Documentation and Publication of their Struggles and Contributions Department of Women’s Studies, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli-620023, Tamil Nadu 23rd &24th February-2015 Name: _____________________________________ Designation: ________________________________ Institution: _________________________________ Address for Communication: ___________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Pin Code: __________________________________ Phone No[s]: (o) _____________________________ Residency: _________________________________ Mobile: ____________________________________ E-mail:____________________________________ Whether Presenting a Paper: Yes / No Title of the paper:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Registration Fees Details D.D.No:_______________________________ Date: _________________________________ Amount Rs. ____________________________ Date: Place: