Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: The SPARSH (Sensitization, Prevention and Redressal of Sexual Harassment) and Department of English, Central University of Jammu, organized a one-day national seminar entitled ‘In Gender: Texts and Contexts’.
The seminar deliberated upon the issues and contexts related to gender. These included the concept of gender as a discourse created through language that has been appropriated by society for centuries; ecriture feminine; sexism in language; stereotyping; LGBT Communities; gender and violence; and related concerns.
The seminar was presided over by Prof Devanand, Head, Department of Computer Science and IT and Dean, School of Basic and Applied Sciences. The keynote speaker was Prof Rajni Palriwala from Department of Sociology, University of Delhi and former Dean, Delhi School of Economics.
The title of her paper was “Is the Gender Contract in Marriage in India Changing?” She said that marriages in India are “hierarchal relationships.” This is due to the unequal gender relationships. She contested the idea that marriages break down because women are not willing to make adjustments anymore.
Prof Nandini Bhattacharya, Chairperson SPARSH, Head, Department of English and Dean, School of Languages, Central University spoke on the topic “Imagining the Celibate Nation.” She explored the Indic idea of celibacy as animating the marriage contract.
Others, who presented the paper, included Neena Gupta Vij, Dr Vandhana Sharma, M A A Farooq, Raj Thakur, Dr Kiran Kalra and Harpreet Kour.
The seminar was followed by an active group discussion by the participants.
Follow our WhatsApp channel