Capacity building in women evokes keen interest
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 20, 2011:
A workshop on Capacity Building of Women Managers in Higher Education was opened today under the sponsorship of UGC at Imphal college here.
Speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session, Manipur University Vice Chancellor Prof Ch Amuba said that women constitute just around 20 per cent of the teaching staff of Manipur University.
Observing that women are facing different kinds of harassment in Manipuri society, Prof Amuba, however, noted that there have been many changes in the last many years.
While boldly facing all kinds of harassments, women have been marching forward in different fields.
Subsequently, women are receiving more respect and dignity in the society.
Nevertheless, they are still a long distance away in terms of literacy and employment as compared to men, he asserted.
No woman has ever held the post of VC in Manipur University and their presence in decision making bodies of the university is negligibly low, Prof Amuba noted.
The workshop which will continue till January 24 was presided by Imphal College Principal in-charge RK Radhapiyari.
MU Registrar Prof A Lokendro and MS University former VC and UGC Core Group Resource Person Padma Ramchandran were guests of honour at the inaugural session.
Giving the key-note address, co-ordinator of the workshop Dr Mainam Binota observed that it is not only in Manipur but also in all India level that the number of women holding posts capable of making decisions in higher education sector is still very low.
Keeping this fact in view, workshops were being organised at regional level under the sponsorship of UGC since 2002-2006 with the objective of creating awareness, and sensitisation and motivation of women so as to promote participation women at par with men in higher education sector, Dr Binota said.
This was the third such a workshop was organised in Manipur, she said.
Out of the country's total number of Vice-Chancellorship, Pro Vice-Chancellorship, Proctors/Rectors, Deans and Registrars, women constitute just 11 per cent, 4 per cent, 7 per cent, 12 percent and 7 per cent respectively.
She went on to say that the presence of women in work places and decision making bodies is comparatively low due to their confinement in domestic works.
To enable women shed their traditional, stereotypical ideas and participate in decision making processes, it needs motivation and awareness.
That was why the workshop was being organised, Dr Binota said.
Even as women and men are equal in the eyes of the law, in reality there is a huge disparity between men and women.
This is one fundamental reason for the inability of women to participate in decision making processes, observed Padma Ramachandran.