Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Kashmir (CUK), Prof Mehraj ud Din Mir on Thursday called for stronger and more inclusive movement towards gender equality in Jammu and Kashmir. “Gender equality is need of the hour. There should be no disparity in the upbringing of a boy and the girl in a family,” Prof Mir said while addressing participants during a seminar tilled “I am Generation Equality-Realising Women’s Rights,” which was organised by Varsity’s Women Empowerment Committee. Prof Mir said men and women should be treated equal in societal setup and at workplaces. He said girls were doing much better compared to boys in almost all examinations conducted by Board of School Education and at University level exams. Earlier, while speaking on the occasion, Registrar, Prof Fayaz A Nikka said the women should believe in themselves and strive hard for carving a niche in their fields. “It’s high time that women must realize their rights, but at the same time they should also understand their duties,” he said. Women Empowerment Committee (WEC) Chairperson, Prof Parveen Pandit said women were treading new paths to achieve socio-political and economic empowerment. Later, a round table discussion was held on ‘Women Empowerment in Kashmir’ which was chaired by Prof Roma Wani, former member, Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) and co-chaired by Prof M Afzal Zargar, Dean School of Animal Sciences, CUK; Prof Nighat Basu, Department of Education; Prof Tabassun Firdous, Coordinator, Women’s Studies & Research Centre, Kashmir University; Muslim Jan, Dr Nyla Khanday; In-charge, Centre for Women Entrepreneurship; Dr Roshan Ara, research associate, Centre for Women’s Studies and Research Centre; Afrooza, BDO, Narbal Rural Development; Government of J&K. The discussion was followed by skits performed by students of various departments. The event ended with distribution of prizes by Prof Mir.
