Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

"Women need to break free from stereotype attitude"

Staff Reporter

UGC-sponsored national seminar on empowerment of women

MOMENT OF HONOUR: Mayor Sarubala R. Tondaiman handing over a medal to Nithya, a football player, as part of the programme of honouring women achievers at the International Women's Day celebration, organised by Centre for Women's Studies, Bharathidasa n University. Vice-Chancellor C. Thangamuthu is also seen. — Photo: M. Moorthy

TIRUCHI: Several speakers urged women to break free from their "stereotype attitude" to level their status with that of men at the inaugural of a two-day UGC-sponsored national seminar on `Empowerment of Women: Strategies and Indicators', organised by the Centre for Women's Studies, Bharathidasan University, here on Wednesday. Against the backdrop of two-third of women remaining below the poverty line, the need for gaining self-confidence and achieving self-reliance through enhanced awareness, was emphasised by the speakers including academicians, writers, journalists, women's organisations, and political representatives.

Presiding over the function, the Vice-Chancellor, C. Thangamuthu, said women have to be inquisitive and keep superstitions at bay for education to stimulate their minds and reflect in a perceptible improvement in their status in the society. He felt that the discrimination against women even in the Business Processing Outsourcing sector, by way of they being sidelined for the posts of project leaders, reflected the trend of the society rather than individual conspiracies.

Pavalar Arivumathi, a literary personality, while reviewing `Anubavam Pesukirathu', a book on innovative teaching methods followed by primary school teachers he released on the occasion, observed that the women's lot has improved significantly owing to the crusades undertaken by progressive thinkers such as Periyar, Ambedkar and Bharathidasan. Salma, Writer, insisted on economic independence through education for women for finding lasting solution to the social evils of dowry and infanticide, in her Women's Day address.

Padma Ramachandran, former Vice-Chancellor, MS University, Baroda, explained that women's emancipation should be construed as rising to the level of men, rather than upstaging.

Tiruchi Mayor Sarubala R. Tondaiman released a directory on `Women Entrepreneurs in Micro Enterprises in Tiruchi', and said women could wield influence in the society only with family support. She also honoured 37 women achievers.

M. Pandia Rajan, Deputy News Editor, `Dinamani,' Tiruchi, in his presentation on `Women and Social Change', saw a positive trend in women making good use of the opportunities coming their way.

V. Radhakrishnan, Registrar, R. Balasubramaniam, Controller of Examinations, N. Manimekalai, Director, Centre for Women's Studies, K. Meena, Principal, Srimathi Indira Gandhi College, and S. Sivakumar, Senior Lecturer, District Institute of Educational Training, Lalgudi, offered felicitations.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

"Women need to break free from stereotype attitude"
Contests breathe life into age-old games
Novel contests bring out talents
`Maasi' float festival at Srirangam temple
Whiz kid from Tiruchi laps it up
Railways train their guns on clean campaign
Buying booze made easy
Mettur level
Around the City
In Tiruchi Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu