CHANDIGARH- March 21, 2011: A five-day UGC Sensitivity Awareness and Motivation
Workshop on Capacity Building of Women Managers in Higher Education for lectures and
principals of colleges and universities from the North West Region concluded at Golden
Jubilee Hall of the University.  

    In spite of an increased access and participation of women in all sectors of
education, there are few women at senior managerial positions in institutions of
higher education.  To remedy this situation, the University Grants Commission has
taken a major step to support training programmes for Capacity Building of Women
Managers in Higher Education with the objective of strengthening the motivation for
and providing the required skills for women academicians to take up leadership
positions.  Five manuals have been designed focusing on different aspects which are
transacted in the course of the workshops, which have been conducted across the
country.
    In accordance with this scheme a Sensitivity/Awareness/Motivation Workshop on
Capacity Building for Women Managers in Higher Education is currently being organised
by the department-cum-Centre for Women Studies and Development, PU.     This is the
third workshop conducted at Panjab University, the others were conducted in 2008 and
2009.
     The first technical session of the workshop focused on the manual on Women’s
Studies Perspectives which was transacted by Dr Manvinder Kaur, Associated Professor
from the Women Studies Department, PU.  She clarified the meaning of women’s studies
and its basic concepts through an analysis of the situation of women in the country.

    The second manual on Women and Governance was transacted by Prof Poonam Dhawan
who highlighted the feminist perspective on power as ‘power to”.  She highlighted the
qualities required for being successful in governance positions through a role play
enacted by the participants themselves.  She further focused on the internal and
external sources of power as well as legitimate and informal power.

    Women and Academic Leadership is the third manual which was transacted by Prof
Nilofer Khan, Director, Women’s Studies Centre, University of Kashmir, Srinagar.  She
highlighted the qualities of a good leader as one who guides and directs other people
and influences the group to work willingly.  She further highlighted the factors
influencing leadership effectiveness.  

    The fourth manual on ‘Personal and Professional Roles’ was transacted by
Dr Shruti Shourie, Assistant Professor, DAV College, Chandigarh.  She highlighted how
the divergence between personal and professional roles can impact women’s capabilities
and emphasized the need for managing both roles in such a manner as to enable women to
be effective leaders.  The last manual on ‘Women and Research’ was transacted by Prof
Renu Bhardwaj, GNDU, Amritsar.  

    In the course of the workshop, the participants also got an opportunity to
listen to President Pratibha Patil’s views on women’s empowerment.  They also
interacted with Ms Neerja Sekhar, Director Census Operations, Haryana.
    Meeting with the participants, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof R.C. Sobti emphasised
that women are the most significant source of power in our society.  
    Twenty-nine participants from various universities and colleges of Punjab and
Himachal Pradesh participated in this five-day long workshop, Prof. Rajesh Gill,
Director Dept.-cum-Centre for Women’s Studies and Development, PU informed.  
                                            Press Note
No.150