The Hindu : New Delhi News : Women still an untapped potential in South Asia, says Vice-President

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Wednesday, Mar 12, 2008
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Women still an untapped potential in South Asia, says Vice-President

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Hailing Delhi University’s Lady Shri Ram College for Women for empowering women all these years, Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Monday urged the prestigious institution’s community to work towards gender justice.

Speaking at the College Day celebrations, Mr. Ansari said: “Ours is a land in the throes of change. The functional mantra is growth; the guiding principle is inclusive growth. The underpinning for both is the Constitutional stipulation of equality and prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. It is, according to Article 51A, a fundamental duty ‘to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women’.”

Quoting a recent study by the International Labour Organisation, the Vice-President said women continued to be “an untapped potential in South Asia”.

“The study states that economic empowerment of women depends upon their access to labour markets, which in turn requires equal access to education and equal opportunity in gaining the skills necessary to compete in the labour market. More women are gaining access to education but equality in education is still lacking…”

Pride of place

“Over the years, the LSR alumni have occupied important leadership positions in academia, government, management and other professional fields. Perhaps the time has come to add an activist gender-justice dimension to the scoreboard of success,” he added.

Earlier, Planning Commission member Syeda S. Hameed, who was the guest of honour, told the audience that the 11th Five Year Plan had striven to create “gender-responsive budgets”.

“In the 11th Plan we have attempted to look at women differently and are focusing on broad areas like health, economic empowerment and political participation,” said Dr. Hameed, who also taught at LSR in the 1960s.

Mr. Ansari felicitated five alumni of the college: academician Neera Chandhoke; banking and finance expert Usha Thorat; Kuchipudi exponent Vanashree Rao; artist Arpana Caur; and Delhi High Court judge Gita Mittal.

Students were awarded for their performances .

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