PANAJI: A national virtual webinar on “Challenging Conventional Narratives- A Gender Dialogue” was conducted at DCT’s Dhempe College of Arts & Science, Miramar- Goa. It was organised by the Department of Political Science in collaboration with Think Tanks Goa Livelihoods Forum and Forum for Integrated Development and Research, recently, states a press release.
The conference took off with welcoming a melange of distinguished panelists for the conference including Charudutta Panigrahi, Mentor, FIDR Think tank, Prof. Bijaylakshmi Nanda, Principal, Miranda College, Delhi University and Asha Vernekar, Secretary, Goa Livelihoods Forum.
The resource speakers – Asha Vernekar, Secretary, Goa Livelihood Forum, and Charudutta Panigrahi, Development Professional, Forum for Integrated Development & Research, Odisha, – took over the first session and delivered a presentation on gender as a social construct and as it functions today. Gender equality is a narrative which has to be pursued conjointly by all to diminish the gender inequalities in our society using a mission mode at the entry level, said Panigrahi.
Vernekar emphasised on two things, one the diversification of gender and the need to ease the conversation around the umbrella term since decriminalisation of section 377 and secondly, by driving the legislative course further on bringing gender equality.
Prof. Bijayalakshmi Nanda, Principal, Miranda College, Delhi University; took over the next session. She deliberated on the issues around efficacy of law implementation in constantly changing contemporary legal landscape. “Women must have a can-do sense of responsibility and a must-do sense of duty,” said Prof. Nanda.
The talks by resource speakers were followed by student presentations by Gauri Neurekar on patriarchy as root cause of gender inequality; and Sameer Shaikh on the political economy of gender.
Earlier, the welcome address was given by Dr. Karuna Singh, In-Charge, Department of Political Science followed by the keynote address by Prof. Vrinda Borker, Principal, Dhempe College. The context setting of the event was given by Divya Parmar, Assistant Professor, followed by the brief introduction of the three eminent resource speakers.
The organising team was Dr. Karuna Singh, Mohit Sukhtankar, Assistant Professor, and Divya Parmar.
