DURGAPUR GOVERNMENT COLLEGE

The Committee for Gender Sensitization and Prevention against Sexual Harassment at Workplace came into being in Durgapur Government College a decade ago, on November, 2006, in compliance to the guidelines on sexual harassment prevention in the workplace, issued by the Honourable Supreme Court of India in 1997. It was then called the Cell for Gender Sensitization and Sexual Harassment Protection. Its primary objective was sensitization and creation of awareness about gender justice among the academic and non-academic community in this educational institution. From the day of its inception, the cell was very active in its stated purpose. The members emphasised upon conducting regular campaigns and workshops among students to make them aware of the evils of gender discrimination and the ways to alleviate them so as to create a balanced and equitable working environment for all. Along with this, the cell had often organized seminars, and interactive sessions with eminent speakers and activists in the past. While such programmes saw a large number of attendees both from the teaching and student community, sometimes students became active participants when they made posters for competition or for exhibition, or worked as student volunteers. The members of the said cell had also propagated their ideas through the Notice Board of the said cell. Presently, the cell has been going through a phase of reconstitution necessitated by the guidelines called Saksham, issued by the UGC as measures for ensuring the safety of women and programmes for gender sensitization on campuses. It pledges to carry forward with its goal of gender sensitization through more workshops, and interactive sessions, putting up a wall magazine by students and organizing self-defence workshops for girl students.