‘Education will help to resolve gender bias in society’

GUWAHATI: Issues on women’s emancipation were discussed at a Round Table Discussion organised by Press Information Bureau, Guwahati in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati on Thursday. The Round Table was held in the run-up to International Women’s Day at the auditorium of IIT, Guwahati. The subject of today’s discussion was women’s emancipation and safeguard of women dignity, which was facilitated by a panel of experts and was moderated by KeertiTiwari, Joint Director, PIB, Guwahati.

The discussion session focused on issues related to women’s emancipation, gender equality and women’s empowerment and highlighted the way forward to strengthen the empowerment of women and ensuring dignity for women in various aspects of life.

Taking part as panel of experts in the discussion, Sumitra Sharma, Senior Advocate, Guwahati High Court, Asst. Professor, IIT. Prof.Rajashri Bedamatta, and Durba Dutta, Professor, Royal Global University, had a threadbare discussion on various issue related to women in the society. It was discussed that empowerment is not only confined freedom from being dominated at home and workplaces but reform a broader aspects of society norms and to work harmoniously with the other genders. Society cannot run smoothly if men and women do not work shoulder to shoulder and without respecting the dignity of each other. It was also discussed that women should be sufficiently brave enough to ask for their rights, and need to raise their voice at right time against any violence’s and discriminations against them. For that reason women must be empowered with knowledge, education and financial independence.

Dr.Chitralekha Mahanta, Dean, Academic Affairs, IIT highlighted in her address that female participation in the country’s labour force is declining drastically in India even though the rate of literacy of women is increasing. International Women’s Day is the time to reflect the actual progress of women. Organisations should provide required facilities like late night transport, safe working environment and facilities of hostels and crèche in workplaces which will help educated women continue with their jobs and participate in the country’s labour force, she said. Policy makers should make laws and policies to facilitate women friendly working environment at work places. Gender sensitization is the only way to bring about an equalitarian society which will be able to protect the rights of women.

Dr. A.M. Farooqi, Deputy Director, Regional Outreach Bureau summarised the issues discussed in the Round Table and focused on the need of empowering women through education and sensitization of the society for women’s right, while giving his vote of thanks. A Rabindra Nritya on Tagore’s poems Shobha and Manush pertaining to emancipation of women was performed by artists of ROB during the programme. (PIB)

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