WOMEN SHOULD BE CATALYSTS OF CHANGE

WOMEN SHOULD BE

 CATALYSTS OF CHANGE

Additional Director General of Police R. Sreelekha has called upon women to be assertive and to raise their voice against victimisation so that they could emerge as the catalysts for social change. Delivering her keynote address at the seminar on ‘Women: Inspiring Change’ organised jointly by the Mahatma Gandhi University, Priyadarshini Vanitha Vedi, MG University Employees’ Association and Women’s Forum here on Wednesday, Ms. Sreelekha said women should respond with confidence during times of challenge to ensure equality.

The State had one of the finest police forces in the country but it was questionable whether the service of the constabulary was being made use of by women, she said. “The State has put in place a 24x7 women’s complaints cell. However, rarely do we get a complaint which needs immediate attention by the police,” she said. The police and the State have also put in place mechanisms such as Janamaithri and women’s help desk.“Respect cannot be earned through power but the sincerity with which one intervenes in issues,” she said. Women could become catalysts for change through their sincere interventions against injustice, she said.In his inaugural address, Vice Chancellor A.V. George said though Indian ethos had given high respect for women, the exclusion of spiritual studies from the curriculum had resulted in a major alteration in society’s attitude towards women.

Prof. John Kurakar