I M A G E- I’M Advocating for Gender Equality the Programme 

Chandigarh, December 1, 2023: I M A G E- I’M Advocating for Gender Equality is the title of the Programme being organized by the Department-cum-Centre for Women’s Studies and Development, Panjab University, Chandigarh with the collaboration of the Consulate General of Canada in Chandigarh. The uniqueness of the Programme lies in the fact that it seeks to engage men and boys to act as advocates for gender equality. Through this Programme the Department seeks to frame an Advocacy Module and then carry the programme into the state of Punjab particularly the rural areas.

The programme commenced with an Inaugural Workshop for framing the Module today.

Inaugurating the Workshop, Dean University Instruction, Professor Rumina Sethi emphasised upon the need to change mindsets. One of the areas which needs change is the use of generalized probnouns and the gendered language. She further stated that everytime a woman steps out of the house she is reminded of her gender and this baggage gets shed only with age. She also emphasized upon the intersectionality among women and lack of homogeneity. It is not only men who think about women in a particular way but also women who do the same. She questioned, in a nation where women are equated with Goddess Saraswati, how come there are such a few number of educated women?

In her Presidential remarks Professor Pam Rajput, Professor Emerita, Dept-cum-Centre for Women’s Studies stated that she recently attended a Global Summit on Life Economy which was marked by the relatively few women participants. Where, she questioned are voices of women and in particular the women with diversity? She equated the Department of women’s studies with an action lab which would translate the text into reality.

Joya Ahluwalia, on behalf of the Canadian Consulate expressed her pleasure at the start of a new initiative which sends a powerful message of gender equality across a patriarchal society.

Earlier welcoming the guest, Professor Manvinder Kaur laid emphasis upon the imperative need to address the issue of gender equality which cannot wait. This requires the combined efforts of men and women and hence the need for this programme. The uniqueness of the Module which the department would be framing lies in the fact that it would be in Hindi and Punjabi alongwith English, which would enable a wider reach.

The Inaugural Session was followed by a Session on Advocacy by Prof.Pam Rajput.

Brainstorming on the contents of the Module, the participants resolved that it would primarily focus on concepts of gender, equality/discrimination in relation to development, masculinity/ femininity including toxic masculinity and patriarchy. The Module would be finalized by the end of December, after which advocacy programmes would be conducted in at least one district of Punjab in the current financial year.