SHUBHANGI SHIFA
Ranchi, Nov 10: The Centre for Human Rights and Subaltern Studies, NUSRL in collaboration with National Commission for Women, New Delhi organised its 15th seminar on Thursday on the topic ‘Women in Paramilitary Forces – Achieving Gender Equality through Gender Sensitization’ at the National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL).
Speakers on the occasion included IG (HR) Akhilesh Kumar Jha; Col Rajesh Kumar, Registrar, Raksha Shakti University; Prof Dr Nishtha Jaiswal, VC, HPNLU, Shimla; and IG (Training) Priya Dubey among others.
NUSRL Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Kesava Rao Varrakula began the programme with information about the seminar and stated that the objective of the seminar was to discuss how gender equality can be brought in paramilitary forces. Other objectives of the seminar included acknowledging women in Paramilitary Forces, Gender Equality and Gender Sensitization.
Akhilesh Kumar Jha started his address by pointing out that it has been a long journey for women in the para-military force, he highlighted how there is a special reservation for women in agencies such as CRPF and that the government has taken progressive steps to achieve more participation from women in these agencies.
Col Rajesh Kumar while addressing the crowd pointed out that reservation is a political act and stunt and that women are not weak and they do not need any reservation to progress in any field. He pointed out that women personnel have been performing well in para-military forces. As a Soldier, Col Kumar points out that the biggest way to serve your country is by wearing the soldier’s uniform.
Prof Nishtha Jaiswal said that the topic of the seminar is close to her heart and that women are born empowered. She quoted Maya Angelou and said, “Each time a woman stands for herself, without knowing she stands for all women” and Mahatma Gandhi’s, “To call women weaker sex is a libel; it is man’s injustice to woman. If by strength is meant brute strength, then, indeed, is woman less brute than man? If by strength is meant moral power, then the woman is immeasurably man’s superior”. She raised yet another important issue that women personnel are rarely given the opportunity to lead a battalion and suggested that men in forces should be made part of female-led battalions.
Priya Dubey started her speech by asking the female students about the expectations that they have regarding their future work environment as a woman. She highlighted several stereotypes and provided that women while handling several issues can still be proficient in their job. She concluded with the quote, “I was not ladylike, nor I was manly, I was something else altogether. There were so many different ways to be beautiful”.
PRK Naidu, VC, Jharkhand Raksha Shakti University started with the fact that gender sensitization is important despite the differences between the two genders. He stated that male domination is dwindling day by day and the patriarchal society is changing for good. Students from different universities presented their papers on various issues regarding the theme of the seminar.
