Tarabai Shinde Women’s Studies Centre
Result of Essay Competition at Women Study Center
About the Centre…
- The centre was started with university funding in April 2005, received grant from UGC in 2009.
- Objectives of the centre.
- Promote research and teaching in the new inter-disciplinary field of women’s studies.
- Explore new areas of outreach into the community.
- Play a leading role in activities related to women’s studies in affiliated colleges and other institutes.
- A special focus on the socio-economic conditions on women in the region of Marathwada and Maharashtra
There are more than 100 Women’s Studies Centers across India and many new ones are being
opened at various colleges and Universities.
Wider career opportunities like- professional Social Workers in Govt. Departments and NGOs,
Social Corporate Responsibility Departments at MNCs, journalism, law, as well as academic posts
Office Assistant /
Data entry operator
Faculty Members ....
- Dr. Wandana Sonalkar :MA,PhD (Economics) with wide research and publications in Women’s Studies, is a nationally recognised scholar in Women’s Studies.
- Nirmala Jadhav :MA, MPhil (English), passed UGC NET in Women’s Studies.
- Sangita Thosar: MA (Political Science), passed UGC NET in Women’s Studies.
- Lalit Bhaware, MA (Political Science)
(All three have qualifications in Women’s Studies at Certificate/Diploma level and experience of research and publication in this field)
The centre is active on following fronts:
- Teaching.
- Seminar/conference/workshop/symposium.
- Research and Documentation.
- Publication, Production of Teaching Material
- Extension work/ Institutional Collaboration
Teaching…
- Certificate
- Course in Women’s Studies
- Started in the academic year: 2006-07
- Part-time one year course
- Eligibility- graduation in any discipline
- Students- 50
- At least 70-80% attendance is compulsory
- Innovative teaching practices
- Active participation of the students
- Film screening and discussion sessions
- Guest lectures by the experts in the field
- Assignments containing innovative subjects, group discussions, presentations
Library at the Centre…
Seminars, conferences, workshops, symposiums organized by the centre
- Academic year 2005-06
Workshop on: Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Women’s Studies: August 2005
- Academic year 2006-07
Sixth conference of the Maharastra Stree Abhyaas Vyaspeeth –Women and Development : January 2006
One-day regional workshop on Social Problems of Women in Maharashtra: December 2006
National level workshop on Writing Women’s History- March 2007 jointly with Rahjarshi Shahu Maharaj Research Centre
Seminars, conferences, workshops, symposiums.. organized by the Centre
- Academic Year 2007-08
One-day workshop on Sex Education in Schools for school teachers- July 14th 2007
One-day workshop on Gender Equality and Social Justice- August 18th 2007
Half-day workshop on Sexual Harassment at the Workplace for the members of Sexual Harassment committees from the affiliated colleges- September 29th 2007
Half-day workshop on Sachar Committee Report on socio-economic conditions of the Muslim community in India-November 28th 2007
A one-day workshop on The Role of the Media in Promoting Gender Equality at Horniman College of Journalism – December 7th 2007
A workshop was held in collaboration with the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samuday for students of the university and activists of BGVS
Celebrated Savitribai Phule Jayanti by organising a Yuvati melava-one day festival for women college students- January 3rd 2008
Three day National Conference on Caste and Patriarchy in collaboration with Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj Research Centre -January 17th, 18th and 19th , 2008
Conducted a three-week Refresher Course in Women’s Studies in collaboration with the Academic Staff College of the University-January 16th to February 6th 2008
A Legal Aid Workshop was organized for postgraduate women students of the university in collaboration with the Manikrao Pahade Law College, Aurangabad- February 29th , 2008
The centre was one of the organisers of a March 8th rally which took the issue of Female Foeticide as its main theme- March 8th 2008
- Academic Year 2008-2009
Celebrated the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule by holding a symposium on the work of Tarabai Shinde and its contemporary relevance- January 3rd 2009
Organized a two day workshop for young practicing lawyers of the Marathwada Region to orient them towards a Gender-Sensitive Practice of Law January 31st and February 1st,2009.
Organised a two day seminar on the issue of Violence Against Women in collaboration with Tathapi Trust (Pune)- February 18th and 19th 2009
- Academic Year 2009-2010
Celebrated the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule by holding a symposium on the work of Tarabai Shinde and its contemporary relevance- January 3rd 2009
Organized a two day workshop for young practicing lawyers of the Marathwada Region to orient them towards a Gender-Sensitive Practice of Law- January 31st and February 1st , 2009.
Organised a two day seminar on the issue of Violence Against Women in collaboration with Tathapi Trust (Pune)- February 18th and 19th 2009
Hosted a one-day discussion on Women and Disabilities jointly with a local NGO, Janarth to mark International Women’s Day- March 9th 2010
Held a panel discussion on Reservations for Women in Parliament and State Legislatures– March 17th 2010
Organised a Refresher Course in Women’s Studies in collaboration with the Academic Staff College of the University- February 25th to March 18th 2010
- Academic Year 2010-2011
Organized a one day seminar on The State and Women’s Emancipation to celebrate the birth anniversary of Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj and completion of five years of the Centre- 26th July 2010
Organized a lecture by Dr. Shruti Tambe on “ Shikshanachya Aarthapurnateche Badalte Nave Aayam” to mark the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule- 3rd January 2011
Organised a national level anti-caste conference on Caste and Sociology in collaboration with Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj Research Centre of the University and the Krantisingh Nana Patil Academy – 28th and 29th January 2011.
Eminent scholars, writers, activists who have visited the Centre…
- Uma Chakravarti (Delhi)
- Vidyut Bhagwat (Pune)
- Gabriel Dietrich (Madurai)
- Kumud Pawade (Nagpur)
- Ritu Diwan (Mumbai)
- Shruti Tambe (Pune)
- Kalpana Kannabiran (Hyderabad)
- Shama Dalwai(Mumbai)
- Maya Pandit (Hyderabad)
- Gail Omvedt (Kasegaon&Delhi)
- Pushpa Bhave (Mumbai)
- Vandana Shiva(Mussoorie)
- Sharad Patil (Nawapur)
- Rekha Thakur (Mumbai)
- Najubai Gawit (Nawapur)
- Shanta Gokhale (Mumbai)
- Manisha Gupte (Pune)
- Bebitai Kamble (Sangli)
- Ranjit Pardeshi (Dhule)
- Kalpana Sharma (Mumbai)
- Saraswati (Bengaluru)
- Sumi Krishna (Bengaluru)
- Shoma Sen (Nagpur)
- Brinda Karat (Delhi)
- Urmila Pawar (Mumbai)
Research and Documentation…
We completed a small research project on: “Migrant Women in Waluj Industrial Estate near Aurangabad: An Ethnographic Study from a Gender Perspective” ( December 2009 to February 2010)On-going research and documentation programmes
Gender and Disability
Deserted Women
Documenting and opening up a dialogue with the women professors at the university
Publications…
Stree Adhyayanatil Sadyakalin Drushtikon, ed. Wandana Sonalkar, 2006, Tarabai Shinde Women’s Studies Centre, Dr. B. A. M. U., Aurangabad.
Aurangabadhmadhil Waluj Audogik Wasahatitil Sthalantarit Jansamuhancha Lingabhav Pariprekshatun Ek Abhyaas( 2010), Co. Wandana Sonalkar, Ed. Sangita Thosar, 2010, Tarabai Shinde Women’s Studies Centre, Dr. B. A. M. U., Aurangabed.
Translations currently undertaken:
Extracts from Juliet Mitchell’s Psychoanalysis and Feminism
Romila Thapar’s Selecting Identities from the Past
Wandana Sonalkar’s An Agenda for Gender Politics
Anita Ghai’s Gender and Disability
Wandana Sonalkar’s review article on gender and caste.
Extension Work/Institutional Collaboration…
Maharastra Stree Abhyas Vyaspith (state-level academic association for Women’s Studies)
Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Centre, Pune ( we have been requested to draw up MOU’s for future collaboration) Navajbai Tata Trust, Mumbai (our proposal is being processed and has received a positive response) Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi (Dr. Wandana Sonalkar is acting as Consultant on a major project)
Future Plans…
- Courses
- M.A. in Women’s Studies
- Ph.D. in Women’s Studies
- Undergraduate (UG) certificate course in Women’s Studies at the affiliated colleges to the University
- Seminars, Conferences, Workshops, Symposia
- National and Regional level seminars in Women’s Studies
- Workshop on Gender and Research Methodology
- Gender Orientation Workshops for College teachers from the affiliated colleges to the university, providing literature and guidance on gender-sensitisation to police personnel, lawyers, social workers
- Seminar on Psychoanalysis and Gender Studies
Research Projects:
- Major Research Project on Gender in Regional Development
- Research Methodology: the Example of Yeola Taluka Stree Visheshank
- Faculty members are working in areas like:
- Conceptualisation of Women’s Work
- History of Women in Namantar movement
- Dalit Women’s Consciousness
- Women in Migrant Communities
Strengths of the centre…
- Interdisciplinary teaching staff
- Research and material production at the centre
- Innovative teaching practices
- Use of both the languages-English and Marathi
- Collection of Audio-visual materials (films & documentaries on women and gender)
- Use of the reference material/literature at the centre by the research students and teachers from and outside the university
- Strong rapport with local institutes working on women
- Library with significant literature in women’s studies
- Regular Guest lectures by the experts in the field
- Training in research methods and skills like translation, transcription etc. by associating ex-students with projects
Contact ....
The Director,
Tarabai Shinde Women’s Studies Centre
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada
University, Aurangabad, Pin: 431004
Phone No: 0240-2403331 (O)
E-mail: director.wsc@bamu.net