#shakti4beti - Kochi eves say Let's Take the Lead

PRCI’s  Young Communicators Club, Kerala Chapter, in association with the Department of English,

Dr Kalyani Vallath

St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam conducted a lecture and discussion sessionon Embracing Change and Challenging Norms: The Young Woman in Urban India as part of Daughters’ Day celebration on 29^th July 2016. The discussion was chaired by Smt. Chitra Krishnan who runs Food for Thought, a food and catering enterprise along with 12 house wives-turned entrepreneurs.

Kick-starting the discussion, Dr. Kalyani Vallath, Chairperson of YCC Kerala and the Director of TES, sought to analyze the theme in a refreshingly unconventional manner and proposed that “an emancipated and empowered woman is an unsexed woman”.

The discussion that followed touched on various issues like gender equality, gender divide, lack of freedom and respect for women, increasing assaults on women, LGBT issues, and so on. Students and faculty who actively participated in the discussion voiced their fears, concerns and difficulties they face in a patriarchal world. The issue of raising a son and a daughter differently within a single family was also brought up and examined.

One faculty member posed a query pertaining to the perception of woman as weak in spite of the tremendous strength and indomitable spirit she often brings to the table in familial setup, especially in managing several things at a time like taking care of a family, paying bills, doing her job efficiently all by herself.

Students also lamented how familial bonds and social expectations often present obstacles on their path and discourage their freedom in moving around and doing things independently. They are often blamed and castigated for daring to defy the established notions of gender roles in the society

Dr Tessy Antony, HOD, English Department of St Theres'a
College and Ms. Chitra Krishnan an Entrepreneur of Kochi

Along with several pitfalls and struggles women have had to encounter, the major strides that women have made in various fields were also highlighted. The participants were urged to learn and elicit the right lessons from the struggles already won so that genuine impetus for future struggles and fights that remain to be fought could be gained. The experiences and the resultant wisdom of women who have fought tremendous odds and succeeded in many traditionally male bastions of career and life were discussed at length.

The meet also discussed the imperative to keep the spirit of the feminist movement alive and breathing new life into it.  The urgency to forge communities that would foster the sense of sisterhood and self-help that cut across social and economic divides was emphasized.

The adage “without struggle, there is no progress” was invoked to communicate in unambiguous terms the importance of keeping alive the struggle for justice and equality alive. It was conveyed by various participants in no uncertain terms that young urban women needed to be in the vanguard of the struggle. They are expected to take initiative when required, lead when they can and follow when they must.

The discussion went on to take up the issue of working towards evolving concrete solutions and proposals to enable women to tackle and overcome every day issues they face. When pondering on the issues of rape and abuse on women, the faculty and the students unanimously voiced the urgency to educate the boys through orientation programs and awareness campaigns in schools. The necessity of consciously asserting the dignity of woman and constantly claiming and occupying rightful spaces in various avenues was touched on. 
The various legal and institutional mechanisms that women could rely on in the urban space were also dwelt on.

T. Vinay Kumar, Secretary of PRCI Kerala Chapter, said PRCI has taken forward the Union Government’s programme - Beti Bachao Beti Padhao – by initiating beti DSuraksha (Girl Security) with #shakti4beti campaign across the country.

Sandhya Balasuma, a noted media person, U.S. Kutty, Chairman, PRCI Kerala, and Nateshan, Director-National Counci, PRCI,  were also present for the session.