By TCN News,
New Delhi: Development of any society would come through collective efforts by men and women to improve the quality of their lives, Rula Ghani, the First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, said here on Wednesday.
“It is through relentless activism, dedication and blind courage that women could help change the mindsets of people,” Ghani said delivering her keynote address at a two-day SAARC conference on ‘Gender, Community and Violence: Changing Mindsets for Empowering the Women of South Asia’ here.
Ghani, who is known for her social service in Afghanistan, went on to discuss the case study of Farkhunda, a 27-year-old woman from Kabul, who was subjected to horrendous barbarity in the month of March this year. She had dared to question religious credentials of a group engaged in selling of amulets by exploiting the vulnerability of worshipers seeking succor and salvation.
Speaking on the occasion, Lalitha Kumaramangalam, chairperson, National Commission for Women, said that we needed to eschew Band-Aid approach to seek solutions to our social problems. She argued in favour of long term solutions to evade the problems pertaining to violence against women in South Asia. In our march towards economic development, we needed to follow the time tested cultures of Asia that promoted politeness and mutual respect for each other, she said. Women empowerment, she felt, would mean equal opportunities and equal access to all. Both men and women, she emphasized, have to be partners in growth to make women empowerment sustainable, according to a release from media coordinator of JMI.
Presenting the concept note of the international conference, Professor Veena Sikri, ambassador, founder & convenor, South Asia Women’s Network (SWAN) and vice chairperson, South Asia Foundation (SAF-India) said that exclusion of women was hampering progress and an integrated approach was required to eliminate gender inequality that was entrenched in our mindsets. It was important, she felt, that men are brought on board in becoming partners to undermine the mindsets rooted in patriarchy and hegemonic practices. Every institution needed to carry out gender-audit to sensitize itself to the limitations that bedevil it. Women, she said, could play a very constructive role in seeking solutions to conflict-ridden places.
Highlighting Jamia’s contribution, Professor Talat Ahmad, vice chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia, said the conference in Jamia was an indication about how strongly the institution felt in terms of women empowerment and gender equity. He said that it was necessary that women through education interrogated the inequalities around them and offered remedial measures. He rooted for equal opportunities for women in every walk of life. He drew the attention of the audience to the initiatives launched by the Outreach Programme of Jamia with regard to women-empowerment and gender equity that manifested in the establishment of an All-Women Canteen in the university besides initiatives for women in the neighbourhood to enhance their employability, the release said.
Earlier, Professor Mohammad Shafiq, dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, JMI welcomed the delegates from SAARC nations, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and wished them a very productive and intellectual engaging stay on the campus. The participants included academicians, journalists, lawyers, activists and policy makers from India and abroad.
Dr Sabiha Husain, associate professor, Dr K R Narayan Centre for Dalit & Minorities Studies, JMI presented the theme of the conference. Professor Rumki Basu, director, Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women’s Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, proposed the votes of thanks, the release added.