Chair, Gender Studies
Since 1975, issues affecting women, including
concerns of equity and gender parity, have moved from incremental welfare
orientation to participation, democratization, sharing of power and dismantling
of patriarchal mind sets. Earlier, provision of welfare services for women was
considered adequate for making allocations in the plans of development, and
discussions veered around “women and development”, and “women in development”.
Subsequently, questions of participation, gender development and empowerment
began to occupy a prominent place which challenged patriarchy in its varied
forms. Growing demand for participation and empowerment of women thus compelled
planners and policy makers to re-evaluate national agenda, policies, laws,
programmes and social practices from a gender development and human rights
perspective. The feminist movement and political mobilization of women also
played a major role in sensitizing establishments to gender concerns in
formulating policies, allocating resources, and implementing programmes.
The Government of National Capital Territory of
Delhi, in addition to its various welfare programmes for women, took an
innovative step for gender development through its Bhagidari (Partnership)
initiative. As part of the Bhagidari between the Government and civil society organizations,
Stree-Shakti camps were organized and gender resource centres (GRCs) were
established.
Added to these initiatives was also the creation of
a Chair on Gender Studies for a period of 3 years at the Institute for Resource
Management and Economic Development, Delhi with effect from July 23, 2007 to
“evaluate the schemes of social welfare with special reference to women’s
empowerment” so that the effects of state-sponsored programmes are known and
corrective actions, if any, are taken to ensure intended outcomes. For this
purpose, the Chair took up studies and carried out surveys, held focus group
discussions and interacted with policy makers, administrators, autonomous
bodies, local women leaders, NGOs and civil society institutions.
In consultation with the Department of Women and
Child Development, the Chair worked out its research priorities and completed
the Evaluation of Stree-Shakti Camps and GRCs and submitted the final report in
May 2008. Thereafter five departments of Government of NCT of Delhi, namely,
Education, Labour and Employment, Women and Child Development, Social Welfare
and SC/ST/OBC were selected for undertaking Gender Budget Analysis. The Chair
completed the analysis and submitted the reports for Education Department in
February, 2009, for Labour and Employment Department in April 2009, and for
Women and Child Development Department in August, 2009, for Social Welfare
Department on 31 December, 2009 and for SC/ST/OBC Department on 19 March, 2010.
Thereafter, the Chair took up a studies on (i) Schemes of Delhi Commission for
Women and (ii) Media As An Instrument of Women’s Empowerment and submitted the
reports on 18 August, 2010 and 11 October, 2010 respectively.
The team of the Chair was interdisciplinary and was
assisted by an Advisory Committee, consisting of academicians and a representative
of the Directorate of Women and Child Development of the Government of NCT of
Delhi for effective coordination of its work. Prof. R.R. Singh functioned as
the Chair from inception till March 2010. He was succeeded by Shri K.K. Singh,
who worked till August, 2010.
