The Gender Studies Cell (GSC), a Student’s initiative, was launched with the Women’s Studies Center in this academic year to create gender awareness through its various activities amongst the students.
GSC started in July 2011 with an orientation session that informed the students about the basics of gender, gender identity and the need to challenge normative gender roles.
The seeds of this project were however, sown much before this when the student body organized the ‘Tulika Film Festival’ in February 2011. This film festival showed one feature film and five documentaries on gender issues. The screenings were followed by panel discussions. Experts from NGOs and lawyers and academician initiated and participated in the discussions.
Films have been a very potent tool for GSC and its first event was the screening of the film ‘Bawandar’ on 9th August 2011. This was done in order to bring to light serious issues of sexual harassment, rights of dalit women and the victimization of rape victims by the police.
GSC also organized a debate competition on 22nd August 2011. This competition grappled with various issues such as reproductive rights of women, the legalization of homosexuality and the hetero-normative definition of virginity. This debate competition witnessed a very enthusiastic participation.
The largest event organized by GSC was the selection round of the “6th Prof. S.P. Sathe Moot Court Competition” on the 21st of January, 2011. Since Feminism and Law was the underlying theme of the “Remebering S.P. Sathe” event of 2012, it was apt that there was an intra college moot court competition to select the team for the same. The Competition was able to create awareness regarding feminist legal theory. It is hoped that GSC will continue to use advocacy skills competitions to create Gender awareness.
The Women’s Studies Center is hopeful that the next academic year shall see a greater number of students engaging with the cell and that gender education soon comes into the mainstream of legal education.
Activities of GSC for the year 2016-17