Women Studies Centre at BITS Pilani (Rajasthan), India

A Centre for Women Studies has been established at BITS, Pilani by UGC to ensure that women not only benefit from technology, but also participate in the process from the concept to commissioning stage.

(PRWEB) June 26, 2005 -- Education for women has always been a burning issue in every society. Breaking through barriers of culture, class and language and surpassing racial and social expectations is a difficult task. It should be the responsibility of every university to strive for women to rise above these barriers to demonstrate the importance of perseverance and the power of a dream. In India, BITS Pilani has played a stellar role in women education and has nearly 40% of its enrollment as women. While many Universities have denied admissions to girls with merit due to lack of girls hostel accommodation, BITS, Pilani took the bold step of converting one of its boys hostel to girls hostel to accommodate the increasing number of girls with merit seeking admissions. A Centre for Women Studies sponsored by the University Grants Commission of India has been established at Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani during 2005.

The technological inputs from faculty and students of a reputed technological Institute like BITS Pilani would help in the development of gender friendly technology -- both in theory and practice and in bringing women into the mainstream of development with the help of technology. The aim is to ensure that women not only benefit from technology, but also participate in the process from the concept to commissioning stage. This Centre at BITS Pilani has plans to network with Women Studies Centres at various national and international level, NGOs as well as governmental institutions. Discussions have been initiated for collaborating with Department of Gender and Medicine, Linskoping University, Sweden and Centre for International Development & Conflict Manangement, University of Martyland at College Park, Maryland, USA.

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