The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : ‘Self-development leads to women’s empowerment’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 23, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

‘Self-development leads to women’s empowerment’

Staff Reporter

Photo: M. Periasamy

NEW OFFICE-BEARERS: K. Hemalatha, Director, Coimbatore Airport (fifth from left), Principal of the College, S. Savithiri (sixth from left), B. Seethalakshmi, Principal, College of Nursing, Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Paramedical Sciences, (seventh from left) at the installation of the 17th college union of Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science for Women in Coimbatore on Thursday. —

COIMBATORE: “Women’s empowerment is possible only through self-development,” K. Hemalatha, Director, Coimbatore Airport, said here on Thursday.

Inaugurating the 17th college union of Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science for Women, she said that if women set their minds to developing their personality, they would be empowered.

She said education was the first step towards being empowered. The second phase would arrive when they earned a job and became financially independent. But, that was not all. Real empowerment meant the freedom of expression and freedom to do what they wanted.

A lot of women still did not have the freedom to live life the way they wanted, she added. The rules were made by men and society was not always kind. Young women needed to be mentally prepared to take on the challenges posed by society. Though tolerance was seen as a virtue, no woman should tolerate social evils.

She should rise against them and fight for her rights, Ms. Hemalatha added.

Professional world

Even after entering the professional world, they should not confine their interests and talent to their jobs. They should also look at other avenues to explore. Entrepreneurship was one such avenue, she pointed out. Thus they could also become job providers.

Communication skill was a very important component of self-development. With the world becoming a globalised village, the need to improve one’s inter personal skills was essential, she said. Self-assessment also formed an integral part of this exercise.

Women should find out what gave them happiness and work towards it. They should also strive to pursue their interests. She advised students to continue their learning process. “If a woman is educated, a family is educated. If more women are educated, society at large can be educated,” she added.

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