Conference cum Panel Discussion organized by Lucknow University Administrative Committee
Lucknow: Lucknow University Administrative Committee established at Faculty of Law, University of Lucknow, Lucknow in collaboration with National Commission for Women and under the guidance of Dr. B.D. Singh (Head & Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Lucknow, Lucknow) and Prof.(Dr.) Satish Chandra (Director, Lucknow University Administrative Committee) successfully organized a Conference cum Panel Discussion under the theme Women Empowerment: Awakening Her.
The conference was graced with the presence of Prof.(Dr.) Madhurima Lal (Chairperson, Mission Shakti, University of Lucknow), Prof.(Dr.) Manini Srivastava (Assistant Professor Psychology & Coordinator, Institute of Women’s Studies, University of Lucknow), Versha Verma (Founder, NGO- ‘Ek Koshish Aisi Bhi’) and Prof.(Dr.) Anant Kumar Giri (Madras Institute of Development Studies).
The programme began with a performance of the Kulgeet of the University of Lucknow, followed by a play by the Abhirang Drama Club, University of Lucknow, with the theme “Awakening Her.” The play sought to educate the audience about how women are oppressed in society and ways to empower them, including the use of the Helpline Number 1090 and Dial 112.
The Panel Discussion began by Prof.(Dr.) Madhurima Lal by educating the audience about the sacrifices made by women. She told the attendees to acknowledge the roles of women in Leadership, Politics, Government, Family-Building and Nation-Building. She also discussed the importance of education in eradicating the evil social practices and norms related to gender biases from society.
Professor (Dr.) Manini Srivastava emphasized on women empowerment, stating that it is important to be conscious of oneself because awakening always starts with the “self” and that realizing one’s potential because everyone has a unique potential. She emphasized that the goal of equality is to equip oneself to stand on an equal footing with one’s counterpart. She also stated that gender equality does not include elevating women above men; rather, it refers to a process that allows both sexes to be treated equally and placed on the same level.In addition, Mrs. Versha Verma criticized the marginalized status of women’s rights in society and the pressing need to support women in reclaiming their dignity, being, and individuality. She spoke to the audience about the need for and approaches for empowering women.
Further in the session, the queries of the attendees were addressed and answered by the panelists, in this part of the session the attendees had asked many questions related to gender discrimination, gender biasness, prevailing stereotypes in the society and so on. In the session Roshni Thakur questioned about the gendered clothing stereotype set up by the society, Kavyanjali Singh questioned why we didn’t strive to modify people’s perceptions of gender equality from the very beginning or even from a young age.
Additionally, Yasharth Prakash expressed his opinion that measures should be taken against those who used to view women as objects.
The panelist answering the questions quoted that the women should realize the power of the word “No”, they should know where they have to say No. The panellists cited statistics on the representation of women in a variety of professions, including leadership, politics, business, advocacy, and the legal system, and they stressed that it is now time for women to stand for their rights and put forward their views.
In keeping with the theme of the event, Prof. (Dr.) Anant Kumar Giri informed the audience about the crisis of civilisation, gender violence, emphasizing that it is a concept that applies to violence against people of any gender. He also cited the definition of power as having control of one’s own abilities and extending to others. Adding on the event, a speech was delivered by a student of the Faculty of Law, Ms. Kavyanjali Singh. Her speech addressed the importance of women in the legal system and dismantled gender bias.
The event was concluded by felicitating all the dignitaries by Indradaman Tiwari (Student Dean, University of Lucknow) and Hritik Pandey (Convenor, Lucknow University Administrative Committee).The event ended with a vote of thanks to all the attendees for their valuable presence and active participation in the Conference cum Panel Discussion.
