30 November 2024/

TOGETHER WE RISE – EMPOWERING WOMEN AND ADVANCING GENDER EQUALITY FOR A JUST FUTURE: DIAMOND HARBOUR WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY HOSTS INSPIRING EVENT

Diamond Harbour Women’s University, West Bengal successfully hosted an event titled “Together We Rise – Empowering Women and Advancing Gender Equality for a Just Future.” The event featured Prof. Mahua Mukherjee, a retired professor from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Dance at Rabindra Bharati University, as the speaker. The topic of discussion was “নারী কে আপন ভাগ্য জয় করিবার কেন নহি দিবে অধিকার?” which translates to “Why should women not have the right to conquer their own destiny?”

Prof. Aparajita Hazra, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Diamond Harbour Women’s University, delivered the inaugural speech. Dr. Indrani Ghosh, NSS Program Coordinator, presented the keynote address. Coordinator Dr. Troyee Sinha introduced the esteemed speaker, Dr. Mahua Mukherjee.

Prof. Mahua Mukherjee,  retired professor from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Dance at Rabindra Bharati University, highlighted the significant roles women have held from Vedic society to the present century. She remembered trailblazers like Dr. Kadambini Ganguly, the first Asian lady doctor from Calcutta Medical College who traveled to the U.K, received three more doctoral certifications, and later returned to India. She worked as a gynecologist at the Lady Dufferin Hospital, and later started her own practice,  was extremely active in many women’s rights movements, and fought to empower women  in India.

She also mentioned the first graduates, Kadambini Ganguly and Chandramukhi Basu; the first Bengali lady pilot, Durba Banerjee; the first Sahitya Akademi Award winner, Mahasweta Devi and the first SNA Fellow, Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay, all of whom contributed immensely to the empowerment of women in India.

Prof. Mahua Mukherjee also highlighted that from 1901 to 2023, only 64 women have won the Nobel Prize compared to 815 men. Remarkably, Madam Curie remains the only person to have won the Nobel Prize twice. Her family members, including her husband Pierre Curie, elder daughter Irène Curie, son-in-law Frédéric Joliot-Curie, and younger daughter Ève Curie, have also achieved this prestigious honor.

Student’s interaction Session was also held. The event took place on the 29th of November, 2024 at the Academic Building, Diamond Harbour Women’s University.

Department of Women’s Studies and the National Service Scheme organized the program.