Violence against women is a major violation of the human rights of women and needs to be
tackled on a priority basis. This was the context of the Regional Seminar on Women and
Violence: Lessons Learnt and Future Strategies organized at ICSSR Complex, Panjab
University (PU), Chandigarh today.

The three day Seminar sponsored by the National Commission for Women, India is being
organized by the Dept-cum-Centre for Women’s Studies and Development, PU, Chandigarh.
More than hundred participants from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and
Chandigarh are participating in this three day seminar which would conclude on January 24.
Papers would be presented by the state Resource Centre for Women, Chandigarh by
Representatives of various NGO’s as well as by faculty of Universities and Colleges
across the region. The themes vary from mental health to domestic violence, to
strategies for addressing the issue of violence against women.
 

Introducing the theme of the Seminar, Chairperson of the Department Prof. Manvinder Kaur
stressed upon the fact that the violence against women occurs throughout the lifecycle
of a women.
 

Delivering the Keynote address, Chairperson of the High Powered Government of India
Committee Prof Pam Rajput on the status of women in India and Founder Director of the
Centre for Women’s Studies stated that we have become desensitized to violence, which
has become culturally accepted. She emphasized that we need to broaden our understanding
of violence against women. Macroeconomics attempts to analyse how to make the state safe
for women but nobody talks of how to make it safe for women to visit India. She stressed
upon the need to have sensitized enforcement machinery, fast track courts, as well as to
strengthen the national institutional mechanism.
 

In this the National commission for women can play a critical role. She also emphasized
upon the need to have a National Policy and Action Plan for ending gender based
violence. Speaking on the occasion Prof B S Ghuman stated that a woman in our
socio-cultural system surrenders all her rights while the man considers himself as the
master. We need to change their status from a subordinate our to equal partnership. For
this we need to combine a bottom up approach with a top down one.
 

Honorary Director of ICSSR Prof Surinder Shukla, mentioned the ancient Indian concept of
adhanrishwar as well as worship of Lakshmi. But she stated this Lakshmi needs
protection. PU Dean University Instruction Prof A K Bhandari in his presidential Address
mentioned that one out of three women have been beaten or coerced into sex globally. The
most cause may be traced to the global culture of discrimination. He also regarded
violence against women to be a cause of poverty. He concluded that it cannot be
justified by any political or religious claims.
The first technical session of the seminar was a Panel Discussion in which activists
from various fields participated, Chairing the session, IPS, DIG Telecommunications Ms
Vibhu Raj, emphasized upon the need to inculcate gender sensitization right from
childhood and related instances of patriarchy which she had encountered. General
Secretary AITUC Ms Amarjeet Kaur, deliberated upon the role played by the women’s
movement in highlighting various instances of violence against women and in getting
justice for the victims. President consumer Forum, SAS Nagar Mohali Ms Madhu P Singh
highlighted the laws for women but also emphasized that mere laws do not help to
alleviate violence. What is needed is to empower women. Founder Director, SUTRA, Jagjit
Nagar, Himachal Pradesh Mr Subhash Mendhapurkar, highlighted the ways in which
construction of masculinity is used to justify violence and abuse of women.
A panel discussion on the second day would look at the ways violence against women has
been looked at by different disciplines. Dean, University College, Zayed University,
Dubai Prof Jyoti Grewal would be delivering the Valedictory Address.