Department of Women's Studies

Other Initiatives to Mainstream Gender in Higher Education

Foundation Course on Gender Studies to Undergraduate Students

UGC in its guidelines under the scheme of Development of Women’s Studies emphasizes that a foundation course on Women’s Studies be offered to create gender sensitivity among the students. As per the guidelines, University had introduced the Foundation Course on Gender Studies as Part IV course to all the U.G Courses of affiliated colleges. The University has approved the recommendations of the Advisory Committee and the Board of Studies as a pioneer initiative to introduce such course to all the UG students. A text book covering the syllabus has been published both in English and Tamil by the Department of Women’s Studies to enable the students to have a study material. It is available with Publication Section of the University at Rs. 40. Bharathidasan University is probably the first University in India to introduce foundation course on Gender Studies to all the affiliated colleges.

Course on Women and Legal Rights Course

As per the High Court Directive of Government of Tamil Nadu, a compulsory course on Women and Legal Rights has been introduced to all the Under Graduate Students of the colleges. As per the Court Directive the girls are to be taught that course. But the Board of Studies of Bharathidasan University recommended that it has to be offered to both men and women. A two day orientation to the college teachers was organized on Gender Studies and Women and Legal rights supplying necessary course materials.

Refresher Courses

Refresher course in Women’s Studies for College and University Teachers are organized with the support of Academic Staff College, Bharathidasan University. In addition a session on gender issues and status of women and children, are allotted for the orientation courses organized by the Academic Staff College as per the UGC norms with the request by Women’s Studies Department as per the UGC guidelines. Now, UGC has incorporated as session exclusively on Status of Women and Children. The interdisciplinary Refresher Courses on Social Sciences, Management, Human Rights, Economics, Sociology, Social Work, Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy Studies, Commerce, Environmental Studies, Literature, Education etc have a component on Gender Issues and the Department has been regularly invited handle a session or two by various Universities in Tamil Nadu and other States.

Consultancy to Women’s Studies and Gender Studies Curriculum Development

The Department has been invited to develop a curriculum module on counseling adolescent girls on reproductive health education at the school levels, to be offered as a part of the syllabus. The faculty members are serving as manual writers, contributors to text books on Gender, Gender Training Manual, lesson writers on Gender Studies of various Universities, including IGNOU, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute for Youth Development (RGNIYD), various State and Central Universities, and Board of Studies of other social science Discipline.

'புதியதோர் உலகம் செய்வோம்'
We will create a brave new world