BANASTHALI UNIVERSITY
JCWE
Vision and Mission of Women's Universities in a Global Society
(November 11-13, 2008)
November 11, 5:15 p.m., Gyan Mandir Audotorium
ROUND TABLE
Discussion on Future Agenda; Role of Women's Universities in Empowering women
CONVENER : Prof. Suma Chitnis
(Former VC, SNDT University)
MODERATOR: Prof. Rebecca Mbuh
(Div of Business Administration, Sook Myung  Women's University, Korea)
PANELISTS :
Prof. Pratibha Jolly
(Principal Miranda House, University of  Delhi)
Prof. Reeta  Sonawat
(Dept. of  Human Development SNDT University)
Prof. Usha Thakkar
(Vice President, Banasthali University)
Prof. Miriam David
[Associate Director (Higher Education) University of London]
Prof. Regina Ammicht Quinn
(International Centre of  Ethics in the  Science and Humanities, Eberhard Karls University, Tubingen.German)
Prof. Sunita  Zaidi
(Head, Dept. of History, Jamia  Milia Islamia University, New Delhi)
Prof. Chitra Purohit
(Secretary, Banasthali University)
Prof. Jaya  Inderesan
(Ex Prof. NIEPA, New Delhi)
Prof. Alka Sharma
(Coordinator WSRC, Banasthali University)

AGENDA
1.	Universities for Women or Women Oriented education
2.	Contribution of  education in enabling and empowering women 
3.	Gender justice through qualitative education
4.	Education as a means end for  holistic development of  women
5.	Redesigning and redefining curriculum for  addressing gender issues
6.	Breaking gender stereotypes and the cliche metaphor- the glass ceiling
7.	Education as a tool for  realising and leadership potential of women
8.	Cultural and social barriers faced by women (theory of cultural and social relativism) and strategies for overcoming them
9.	Balancing professional and personal responsibilities
10.	Impact of globalisation on women education
 
DISCUSSION
Agenda 1 : Prof. Pratibha Jolly
Women's institutions have a great role. Either type, has to strive to make all kinds of boundaries porous by exposing women students to their contemporaries in other universities. This would make them strong, confident and capable of bringing a change in the society and making world a better place to live in. 'Add on' courses are very important to build enterpreneurial skills and  technological expertise in women students.
Agenda 2 : Prof. Usha Thakkar
The Need and time have come to reconceptualizing 'empowerment'.
Prof. Chitra Purohit
Women Cannot be empowered only through education. Strong women, who also possess iron will power can be equally considered  to be empowered.
Agenda 3 : Prof. Miriam David
In U.K., there is more or less equal number of men and women in university but there are less of  women in the leadership positions in the universities.  She exhorted teachers to take up gender issues at classsroom level and sensitize the students to the existence of power relations at micro levels. Women should bring  about a collective effect by supporting  each other in achieving influential positions.
Agenda 4 : Prof. Regina Ammicht Quinn
Women's education does not automatically provide solution to problems. Open the shutters of your mind and heart. At least realise where the shutters are closed. We need arts, literature, theatre to general moral imagination to imagine how other's think. There is a need women's university to move beyond academics and provide young women with imagination.
Agenda 5 : Prof. Usha  Thakkar
Women's  universities have to be equipped well in couse content to compete with co-ed universities. Teachers should work hard to make the cliched course content interesting by honing the imagination of the students.
Prof. Alka Sharma
We are not adderessing gender issues through our  curriculum.
Agenda 6 : Prof. Jaya Indiresan
Woman's Universities Provide secure environment to deal with stereotypes and giving factual knowlege to deconstruct the  stereotypes, moreover, debates and interactive sessions  should  be held for both students and guardian and brainstorming should be done to make them think about gender roles in society. Socratic method of engendering knowledge was prescribed.
Agenda 7 : Prof. Rebecca Mbuh
Leaders are not born. They can be made. Challenging  the  genetic deterrminism, she asked the faculty members to act as role models and to inculcate confidence and bring out leadership qualities inherent in every women.
Agenda 8 : Prof. Alka  Sharma
Steps should be taken to break the socio cultural barriers that obstruct women from gaining positions of power.
Agenda 9 : Prof. Reeta Sonawat
Women aspire to be E(everything) which acts as a stumbling block. They  should  learn to make men shoulder the  burden of homemaking.
Agenda 10 : Prof. Sunita  Zaidi
The negative impact of  globalization on education is  more prominent because  of te  coming  up of 'self financing system' in the  institutes of higher learning. Consequently, girls get a backseat when it comes to expending on their education.

COMMENTS BY THE AUDIENCE
- There's a large gap between theory and practice in the  context of feminism. Its a political rather than a theoretical conflict.
- Should we have women's universities? This cannot be answerded in black and white as  it  depends  on time, place and  community.
- Are the women's universities sufficient to improve the conditions of  women at the  grass root level.

CONCLUDING REMARKSBY THE  CONVENER
(Prof. Suma Chitnis)
We have to celebrate our uniqueness as women rather than trying to neutralize the gender differences and aiming at a unisexual world. With respect to empowerment the  use of strategic power  (gentle power of  women) was proposed in contrast to aggressive power, that  breaks relationships & the  world. There is  a dire need to "empower men to be equal husband". man should become powerful enough to bear strong, independent woman.