Women’s Studies Unit

Women’s Studies Unit, Bhairab Ganguly College

The UGC during the XIIth Plan took a major initiative to create departments and Women’s Studies units in educational institutions all over India. In a higher education institution, the Women’s Studies Unit facilitates the empowerment of women through targeted interventions and research.

The primary role of the proposed Women’s Studies Unit in Bhairab Ganguly College is to assimilate knowledge and transmit it through research and documentation. It will function in bridging the gap between the theory of gender and gender in practice. The Centre seeks to reach beyond mere academic concerns. The field action programmes will create a general awareness regarding gender issues among men and women alike. The Centre, through facilitating gender-inclusive research, will play a role in pursuing a gender-just society.

Vision:

The Women’s Studies Unit will act as an academic interface for research and practice through the lens of gender.

Mission:

To create a socially-aware community which addresses the challenges faced in the areas of gender and diversity. This will be achieved by the active involvement of the faculty, staff and students who are committed to thinking about their social responsibilities.

Committee Members of Women’s Studies Unit

(Dr.) Subhranil Som, Principal, Bhairab Ganguly College
Sahana Chakraborty, Co-ordinator
Santanu Chakraborty, Member
Janki Singh, Member
Monisha Hembram, Member

Members of the Advisory Board:

Sanjukta Dasgupta, Professor (Retd), University of Calcutta
Swati Ghosh, Director, Women’s Studies Centre, Rabindra Bharati University
Sipra Mukherjee, Professor, West Bengal State University

The Proposed Activities of Women’s Studies Unit for Phase I:

(i) Research

Hosting research projects from various funding agencies/ collaborating centres.
In 2018, “Aspirations and Expections of Female students across disciplines”, a student-oriented survey-based research project in collaboration with the Women’s Studies Centre, Rabindra Bharati University was started. The project is ongoing.

Organizing seminars, workshops, colloquia for sharing conceptual issues in gender studies. Talks are on for a panel discussion to be held on exclusionary politics of gender; separate gender awareness workshops for faculty members and students.

(ii) Documentation and Publication

Publication of an annual journal on gender studies
Publication of research reports and working papers
Publication of seminar and conference proceedings
A newsletter/ monograph featuring articles contributed by students

Thrust Areas of Research by the Centre include

Gender and Education
Gender and Society
Gender and Literature
Gender and Sociology
Gender and Media

Gender Equity

Following the UGC directives, Bhairab Ganguly College is one of the pioneering institutions in the State to constitute a Cell for Gender Sensitization and Prevention of Sexual harassment in College [CGSPSH] in the year 2007. The constitution was framed following the Vishakha guidelines. The Cell takes up awareness programmes (seminars, poster sessions, workshops) on Gender Sensitization on a regular basis. Awareness posters on gender equity, human rights, prevention of sexual harassment are permanently displayed at the canteen, students’common rooms, library and corridors.

In addition, this College is one of the few having a Women’s Studies Unit from 2016 in compliance with UGC XIIth Plan where a major initiative was taken to create departments and Women’s Studies Unit in educational institutions all over India to facilitate the empowerment of women through targeted interventions and research. The primary role of the Women’s Studies Unit in Bhairab Ganguly College is to assimilate knowledge and transmit it through research and documentation. It functions in bridging the gap between the theory of gender and gender in practice. The field action programmes are often undertaken in collaboration with the Gender Sensitization Cell and NSS unit of the College, with the objective to create a general awareness regarding gender issues among men and women alike, in pursuing a gender-just society.

Annual Gender Sensitization Action Plan

In each academic session:

a workshop/ seminar/ panel discussion / debate is organized
a poster competition on gender equity/ awareness on diverse aspects of gender discriminations and its remedial measures is organized.

Due to the prolonged lockdown (2020-2021) owing to the pandemic, no offline activities involving students could be undertaken.
However, three online meetings have been held on 05-07-2021, 08-12-2021 & 14-12-2021.

Minutes of Meeting of Women’s Studies Unit:

Activities of Women’s Studies Unit

On 7^thFebruary, 2017 the Cell for Gender Sensitisation and Prevention of Sexual harassment in College [CGSPSH] organised a day long workshop entitled “enough is enough” in collaboration with SAPPHO, a NGO. The prime focus was on gender, sexuality and social construction of gender. Students(50), teachers and some NTS staff members attended it.
7^thto 9^th February, 2017 a poster display session was organised by the Women’s Studies Unit and Cell for Gender Sensitisation and Prevention of Sexual harassment in College [CGSPSH]. Fifteen posters on gender related issues and gender equity were prepared and put up by students.
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2018, the Women’s Studies unit invited speakers from SPAN (NGO) to hold an interactive sessionwith the students of the college to discuss the role of youth for a gender-just society.
The college has signed a MOU with SPAN for 2018.Two orientation programmes were conducted by SPAN to motivate our students to mentor atleast two students each from slums in Kolkata and the suburbs. Many NSS volunteers enthusiastically participated in the programme
On 04.10.2018, The Women’s Studies Unit invited eminent human rights and women rights activists and academicians to put forth their views in a panel discussionon “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”. The students and teachers added new dimensions to the day long discussion through their well-thought out questions and comments.
A poster display sessionwas inaugurated on 4.10.2018 by the distinguished TV(Doordarshan) journalist Mr. Snehashis Sur and Prof. Swati Ghosh, Director of Women’s Studies Centre, RBU. Twenty Awareness posters on gender equity were prepared by students and displayed on boards for a week to create general awareness on the issue amongst all cross sections. CGSPSH and Women’s Studies Unit jointly organised it.
A poster competition entitled “Breaking the silence against gender violence” was held on 06.3.2020as a part of celebration of Women’s day. Prof. Sukla Basu of Viswa Bharati University Judged the posters.

On 7^th February, 2017 the Cell for Gender Sensitisation and Prevention of Sexual harassment in College [CGSPSH] organised a day long workshop entitled “enough is enough”

Women’s Day 2018, the Women’s Studies unit invited speakers from SPAN (NGO) to hold an interactive session with the students of the college to discuss the role of youth for a gender-just society