OnlyKashmir.in News Desk
A two-day National Conference on “Gender Equality in the 21st Century: Perspectives and Pathways to SDG-5” commenced at Government College for Women (GCW), M.A. Road, Srinagar, bringing together academicians, researchers, scholars, faculty members and students to deliberate on contemporary challenges and pathways towards achieving gender equality.
The inaugural session was attended by Prof. Indu Agnihotri, renowned scholar and former Director of the Centre for Women’s Development Studies, New Delhi, and Sudhir Gupta, Executive Director, J&K Bank, which is sponsoring the conference. Several noted academicians, principals, faculty members, researchers and students also participated.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Indu Agnihotri highlighted the broader dimensions of women’s development and gender equality, stressing the need for sustained interventions to address structural inequalities.
She emphasised that gender sensitivity is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and drew attention to issues including women’s unpaid work, representation in decision-making and the need for better gender-sensitive data.
Principal of the college, Prof. (Dr.) Yasmeen Farooq, underlined the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment, noting that inequalities persist in areas such as economic participation, leadership, technology and decision-making.
She stressed the role of educational institutions in empowering young women with confidence, critical thinking, skills and the ability to make independent choices.
The inaugural programme featured the National Song and National Anthem, a traditional izband ceremony and the College Tarana. An Abstract Book containing papers to be presented during the conference was also released, followed by a poetry recitation by a student.
The conference will continue on Wednesday with technical sessions focusing on the social, economic, political, cultural and institutional dimensions of gender equality.
