The Centre for Women’s Studies, University of Hyderabad (UoH) in collaboration with Stree Vimukti Sanghatana, organised a talk by Prof. Thota Jyothirani, retired Professor of Economics from Kakatiya University, Warangal on “Women and Development: Contemporary Issues and Challenges”.
Prof. Jyothirani discussed the United Nations Organisation’s emphasis on the gender mainstreaming and the ground realities in achieving gender equality. She focused on the politics of development of women and illustrated with case studies from grassroots movements. She concentrated on the hidden agenda behind feminisation of employment and its contribution to the reiteration of gender roles in a patriarchal society. She also spoke about the consequences of globalisation that seriously affect women.
Her speech was followed by a discussion of the three books published by Stree Vimukti Sanghatana. One of them is on Women and Development written by Prof. Thota Jyothirani and the other two are on women and health and on the trajectories of the toiling women. Prof. Sheela Prasad, Centre for Regional Studies, University of Hyderabad, introduced the book on women and health and stressed upon the need to bring such fieldwork based books into research.
Ms. Lakshmi of Streeshakti Sanghatana introduced the work done by her organisation and urged for the solidarity from students and intellectuals to the toiling women who are in dire situations of exploitation.
The session was chaired by Prof. K. Suneetha Rani, Head, Centre for Women’s Studies at UoH. She concluded by saying that the three books interestingly bring together theory and movements.