Events

Amity World Women's Forum (AWWF) together with Amity Institute of Behavioural Health and Allied Sciences (AIBHAS) organized a seminar on "Changing Role and Status of Women in the 21st Century" at Amity University Campus, Sector- 125 to acknowledge the hard work women have been putting in the development of the nation and to celebrate their indispensable role in bringing laurels to the country.

Welcoming the august gathering at the seminar, Prof. Veera Raghavan- Director General, AIBHAS announced that the seminar will act as a milestone in reminding the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women's equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life. Outlining the objective of Amity World Women Forum (AWWF), a platform to unite women worldwide she said that AWWF aims to address the topical issues concerning women at personal, professional and domestic fronts.

Dr. Shashi Kiran, Chairperson, CHETNA (Centre for Health Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness) the Chief Guest for the occasion, brought out several issues related to women in India viz- a – viz women in Western countries. Expressing her concern over the alarming female foeticide rate in India and miserable conditions in which rural and urban women live she said that an act like Domestic Violence Act alone cannot prevent women from the atrocities implicated on her in her family by her own kin but the change in attitude and mindset especially the change of men’s attitude towards women can bring about a sea change in the status of women.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. (Dr.) Arun Agarwal- Dean, Maulana Azad Medical College suggested education as one of tools which can emancipate the woman, make her aware of her rights and give her the power to fight her way up in a male dominated society.

Talking about the success of “Rural Women Empowerment and Development” project in providing a source of income and sustenance to rural women, Dr. (Mrs.) S. Vasudevan, Joint Director, Women Development Division, National Institute of Public Cooperation & Child development (NIPCCD) said that more of such projects are needed to make rural women self- reliant, confident and independent.

Stressing the dual role performed by women at domestic front and professional front, Prof. (Dr.) T.K. Oommen- World Renowned Sociologist express his concern over the amount of stress women are prone to. He called upon men to understand the hard work a woman puts in to manage both the fronts and appreciate her for that.

Celebrating the spirit of International Women’s Day, Dr. Amita Chauhan- Chairperson, Amity International Schools said that the new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Woman is no longer a dormouse but she is a “superwoman”. She knows how to keep her professional and personal life in tandem. She has made a mark in almost all the fields which were earlier considered as male bastions be it sports, fashion, theatre, literature or politics.

Experts from different fields including Dr. G.S. Saun- Deputy Director, ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Science Research); Dr. Mridula Sharma- Chief, HRD, NIMRD (National Institute of Manpower Research and Development); Dr. Kamala Khetrapal- Director, Kamla Charitable Trust; Dr. (Mrs.) Arun Grover- Director of Women Empowerment, NGO and Dr. Deepak Raheja- Director, Hope Foundation deliberated in a Panel Discussion woven around the changing role of 21st Century women. Many contemporary issues pertaining today’s women were broached including female foeticide, maternal care, sexual harassment and gender disparity.

Panel Discussion was followed by a debate competition amongst the students sharing their views in favour and against the topic. The winner was awarded with a certificate and a cash prize of Rs