Dr. Charu Walikhanna, Member, NCW was Chief Guest at Seminar on “Rights of Women and the Role of National Commission for Women”. The programme was organized by Citizens Rights Trust at St Ann’s Auditorium ICSC on 23.07.2012 . The participants included staff and educationists from St. Ann’s B.Ed College, St. Ann’s M.Ed College, St. Ann’s school ICSC, St.Ann’s school SSC and other eminent women. 

The program commenced with a prayer by the students of St. Ann’s school ICSC. Welcome address was given by Mrs. Pearl, staff of St.Ann’s SSC was compered by Ms. Elvina Menezes, St. Ann’s ICSC. After the ceremonial lighting of the lamp Ms. Sarah from NGO ASMITA presented a paper on “Problems faced by women in Andhra Pradesh”. She highlighted problems relating to Child Labour, Trafficking, Child marriage and increase in Dowry harassment, Domestic violence etc. 

Sr. Jessy Kurian, the Chairperson, Citizens Rights Trust & former Member National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, presented a paper on “Rights of Women and Gender Equality”. The paper based on Justice for women under Indian law raised the question that despite a plethora of laws in the country for protection of women ARE they getting justice. She highlighted the following- 

• Article 14,15, Men and women are equal before the law. Equal wage for equal work is the law. But when it comes to implementation women are discriminated.
• Dowry was prohibited in 1961 but still the biggest social evil. In dowry death, though law is there to protect women, she is no more to tell her story and after her death there is no one to give a fitting witness or testimony. Therefore the man gets acquitted very often.
• In rape case, most of the cases are tried by men judges and the trauma the victim faces is worse than the rape.
• In sexual harassment too, witnesses are very difficult to find.
• A woman has the right to choose her partner etc but is condemned and killed.

Thereafter, Dr. Charu WaliKhanna, the Member NCW presented a power point presentation on Rights of women and the Role of NCW. She emphasized on 

• The functions of powers of NCW.
• Different Cells of the NCW
• The category of cases registered in NCW.
• Nature of cases handled.
• New initiatives of NCW etc

During interaction session many questions were posed to Member NCW and all felt that gender justice is not implemented in society. In order to cultivate sense of gender justice in the new generation, it should be incorporated in the syllabus at the educational level. The participants of various institutions expressed their willingness to come forward and form a committee to this effect and to make suggestions and a present Report to the National Commission for Commission regarding the same. Dr Charu WaliKhanna welcomed this suggestion and said that the Commission has an Expert Committee on Gender and Education which is looking into the various facts and all suggestions were welcome. 

The seminar ended with a vote of thanks by Mrs. Indhra Narayan and an assurance that eminent educationists would have a Seminar detailing how gender sensitization can be incorporated in the syllabus at different levels according to the intellectual capacity and age of the child.

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