JK News Today
Jammu, October 14, 2025: The Centre for Women’s Studies, University of Jammu, successfully conducted a Gender Sensitisation WorkshopatGovernment Girls Model Higher Secondary School, Mubarak Mandi, Jammu on 14th Oct, 2025.
The event commenced with a warm welcome address by Smt. Neelam Sharma, Principal Govt. Girls Higher Secondary School, Mubarak Mandi, who emphasized the importance of initiating dialogue on gender equality at the grassroots level, particularly among young girls who are the future change-makers of the society. Further, she also applauded the efforts of the Centre to conduct such workshops on relevant topic.
The keynote speaker for the event was Prof. Savita Nayyar Director, Centre for Women’s Studies, University of Jammu. She began her presentation by explaining the meaning of gender sensitization and its importance. She said gender sensitization means, recognizing and respecting differences without discrimination. It’s not just about women’s rights but also about fairness, respect and dignity of all irrespective of gender. She deliberated that sex and gender are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different concepts that are important to distinguish in both academic as well as everyday discussions. Further, she added understanding the distinction between sex and gender is essential for analyzing how societal norms shape individual identities, influence power dynamics and affect access to rights and resources. Prof. Nayyar also explained that concepts like “masculinity” and “femininity” are gender oriented and influence the discriminations resulting violence. She also gave insights on critical issues related to gender roles, societal expectations, and the importance of creating inclusive spaces both in schools and in society.
Additionally, she gave detailed presentation regarding different constitutional provisions and legal protections under specific laws that are available to women and stressed upon the awareness regarding these laws and their stronger enforcement. She encouraged students to reflect on their personal experiences and question traditional norms that perpetuate inequality. Prof. Nayyar highlighted the role of education in challenging gender biases and urged both teachers and students to become active participants in promoting gender justice. “Gender sensitisation is not a one-time conversation, but a continuous process of learning, unlearning, and advocating for equity,” she said.
The workshop witnessed large number of faculty members and students from the school. Various questions were asked by the participants which were answered to their satisfaction by the resource person. Dr. Saranjit Kaur, faculty member from Centre for Women’s Studies and Senior Lecturer, Mrs. Sarika Bhatti from the Govt. Girls Hr. Sec. School Mubarak Mandi, coordinated the program. The event concluded with a formal vote of thanks by Dr. Disha Sharma, who expressed gratitude to the Centre for Women’s Studies, the school administration, and all participants for making the workshop a success.
