Centre for Women's Studies

The centre for Women's Studies was established for 19^th May 2001 under the UGC scheme for establishment of centers for Women's Studies in universities and colleges. The centre is located under the faculty of social Sciences for academic purposes centers teaching programme started from 2004-2005 and the ordinances (Academic) were amended to provide a board of studies at par with other department. In 2006 by adding chapter XXVI two ordinances (Executive) board of management was provided and center received the status of "Centre of the University".

The centre started courses for B.A. Part I and II (subsidiary) from 2004-05, A PG Diploma (Part Time) since 2005-06 Ph.D./M.Phil Programme since 2007-08 and UGC refresher course (Multidisciplinary) in women's studies under the aegis of the academic staff  college began since 2007-08

Besides teaching another important objective of the centre is sensitizing students/faculty and people of women's issues which is does through organizing annual short duration certificate courses and lectures-discussion by inviting scholars and activist from outside Aligars, essays and slogan writing, poster making competition

Center also caries out remedial teaching and relief activities for women and girl children by training girls in performing arts, women in post harvest processing and holding mother and child care camp

The centre brings out an annual academic refreed journal women and society and a bulletin news letter. The PG Diploma students bring out their own in-house magazine vision

Course Details

Seminar

A number of seminars and works shops have been held. Only the national seminars organized by the Centre are mentioned below:-

1 'Violence against Women and the Girl Child', 1-2 April 2003.

2 'Women and Development', 10-11 October 2004, partly funded by ICSSR and ICHR.

3 'Women and Land Rights', 21-23 August 2006, funded by National Commission for Women.

4 'Reassessing Third World Feminism', 19-21 November 2007, partly funded by ICSSR and ICHR.

5 'The Future as Concieved in the Past: The Evolving Visions of Women's Emancipation', scheduled for 20-22 October 2008, partly funded by ICHR and ICSSR.

Extra-mural Lectures

1 The Centre has from time to time invited scholars in the field to deliver public lectures mainly to student audiences on themes concerned with women's problems. A select list is given below :

2 Professor Hajira Kumar, 'Muslim Women: Some Issues and Disabilities', 8.3.2004

3 Ms T. Seetalvad, 'Women in Indian Law', 8.3.2004

4 Professor Aparna Basu, 'Women's Movement in India', 19.2.2005

5 Professor Susheel Kaushik, 'Why Women's Studies', 6.3.2005

6 Dr Uma Chakravarti, 'Construction of Faminity and Masculinity', 17.9.2006

7 Professor Roop Rekha Verma,' Genderin School Text Books', 4.3.2007

8 Dr Indu Agnihotri, 'Gender Equality:Theory and Practice', 22.9.2007

Essay and Poster Competitions

Exemplary successes were achieved in sensitizing the students and public about women's issues by this means. The four themes around which these were organized were:

2005 "What I owe to my mother." 19 essays; 37 posters    received.

2006 "Elimination of Violence against women." 224 essays, 27 slogans; 69 posters.

2007 "The Story I like most about a girl or a woman." 106 essays; 56posters.

2008 "Are Men and Women equal in our Society?" 83 essays, 18 slogans; 29 paintings and posters.

A touching essay was one which underlined what the girl essayist owed to her loving step mother.

Field Action

The following major projects have been undertaken in the realm of field work (remedial and relief activity):

Medical Camps

Four Medical Camps, have been organized by the Centre for Women's Studies, with UNICEF's assistance, and local medical authorities in four different poor localities of Aligarh District, for mothers and babies, obtained enthusiastic local cooperation, as shown by the following data:

(1) Medical Camp, 24 December 2007, Jeevangarh locality: Over 400 women and children, treated, many vaccinated, and all given free medicine.

(2) Medical Camp, 9 March 2008, Nagla Qila: 537 patients examined, of whom 76 expectant mothers, 38 malnourished children. Vaccinated and given medicines.

(3) Medical Camp, 17 July 2008. Nagla Basti: 750 patients examined, 46 expectant mothers, of whom 28 were excessively anaemic, treated. 93 children vaccinated; 12 children found under nourished. All patients issued free medicine.

(4) Medical Camp, 19 July 2008, Punjipur. Over 600 patients examined. Free medicines distributed and children vaccinated.

A major feature of the camps has been the order cheerfully maintained by the crowds of people, who in each case came from mixed communal and caste backgrounds. The doctors and the staff and student volunteer showed great patience and dedication.

Remedial Teaching

(a) From 2006 the Centre has collaborated with two schools (Shaikh Abdullah Memorial School and A. B. K. Union School) catering especially to Muslim girls of weaker sections, by providing remedial teaching at Classes V to X level through AMU research scholars and MA/M. Sc. /B. Tech. students, who volunteer to take classes on token honoraria.

(b) Specialized remedial teaching (speech /lip-reading and needle-work) is being supported in the Pragnarain School for the Deaf, Sasni Gate, Aligarh.

(c) The Centre is subsidizing computer education for deaf and dumb girls at the Pragnarain School for the Deaf and Dumb, Aligarh since 2007. Ten pupils have been trained so far.

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