New Delhi, March 02: Women need to enter politics in large numbers to clean the system, asserted speakers at the national conference on ‘Emerging trends in women leadership in India’ jointly organised by the Women Studies Centres of Holy Cross and Cauvery College for Women on Tuesday.
Susheela Kaushik, President, Centre for Development Studies and Action, New Delhi, urged young women to shake off negative perceptions associated with politics such as money power, muscle power and violence. Noting that India has a tradition of women leaders as testified in history, she said it was disconcerting that youngsters preferred the corporate corridors over the public, government or bureaucratic sphere.
Highlighting that there were very few women at the highest echelons of power, she said mobility for women in politics and academics was limited. Women also don’t contest elections due to a lack of financial resources and ownership of property. Citing changes implemented in the Panchayat Raj system with the entry of women leaders, she urged women to contest in elections for local bodies, universities, college unions so as to emerge as leaders.
Special invitee, Harminder Kaur Chauhan, Joint Director, UGC lauded the Women’s centre’s initiative in organising a national conference despite being in its infancy. The 150 women studies centres in the nation should encourage entry of women in politics, she added.
B.Regina Papa, Former Director and Head, Department of Women’s Studies, Alagappa University, Karaikudi said the climate was favourable for the entry of women in politics and educated, articulate, daring women were increasingly sought after by political parties. Women should cease remaining political consumers and submissive participants in the democratic process. Though participation of women was encouraging at the grassroots level in politics, women constituted only 2.8 percent of any political party. Their entry could facilitate an ideal style of leadership that tempered male aggressiveness with negotiating skills of women, she added.
Isabella Rajakumari, Director, Women’s Studies Centre, Holy Cross College welcomed the suggestions of the conference. Sr. Maria Kamalam, Secretary and Sr.Sarguna, Principal, Holy Cross College; V.Sujatha, Principal and G.Kanaga, Vice-Principal of Cauvery College for Women were among those present.
In a three part conference, Subhasri Sriram, Executive Director and Chief Finance Officer, Shriram Group, Chennai; Mumtaz Begum, Associate Professor, School of Education, Pondicherry Central University and D.Sherin Asha, Founder President, Velicham Educational Movement, Chennai traced the emerging patterns of women leadership in corporate, academic and social spheres.
N.Manimekalai, Director, Department of Women’s Studies, Bharathidasan University and T.Jayanthi Ranee, Member of Child Welfare Committee gave away the certificates of the paper presentation and poster presentation competition at the valediction.
–Agencies–