Expert Lecture on Cyber Crime Awareness for Youth
Date: 06 November 2024
The Women Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College organized an expert lecture on cyber crime awareness for youth on November 6, 2024, in the H2 Auditorium, Humanities Block. The event was attended by 124 participants, including students and faculty members, who gathered to gain insights into cyber security and legal awareness. The resource person, Adv. Vivek Shukla, Legal Consultant and Advocate at the Lucknow High Court, delivered an informative session that focused on the legal definitions of cyber crime.

Adv. Shukla discussed the various forms of cyber crime, including hacking, identity theft, cyberbullying, and financial fraud, and elaborated on the evolving nature of these crimes with advancements in technology. He emphasized the importance of digital security and provided practical guidelines on how youth can protect themselves online. Additionally, Adv. Shukla highlighted the consequences of cyber crime, both legally and personally, stressing that awareness and responsible online behaviour are crucial for safety in the digital world.

The lecture shed light on recent cyber crime cases, legal precedents, and the role of law enforcement in addressing cyber crime. Through this session, participants gained a deeper understanding of the legal aspects of cyber security, as well as practical steps to maintain personal digital safety.

Expert Lecture on Mental Health and Self-Care
Date: 10 October 2024
The Women Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College organized an expert lecture on mental health and self-care on October 10, 2024. The resource person, Dr. Deepthi Vijayan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, delivered an insightful talk addressing the definitions of health and mental health. She emphasized the impact of social media on mental well-being and highlighted the connection between mental health and self-care routines. Dr. Vijayan shared research findings showing that engaging in self-care activities, such as meditation and journaling, can lead to better mood regulation, reduced stress, and lower rates of burnout.

Srujana," an Art, Craft, and Food stall
Date: 22 October 2024
The Women’s Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College organized "Srujana," an art, craft, and food stall, on 22nd October 2024.The event featured stalls set up by 28 participants. A diverse range of stalls were showcased, including beautifully crafted crochet products, a variety of food options, and custom-made stickers. Attendees also enjoyed the live portrait stall, where a skilled artist created personalized sketches, and the mehndi stall, offering intricate henna designs. Each stall brought something unique to the experience, adding to the event's vibrant and engaging atmosphere.

Women’s Well-being and Sanitization
Date: 15 October 2024
With an objective to raise awareness on women’s health and hygiene, Women’s Empowerment Cell (WEC) of the college organized an Expert Talk on Tuesday, 15th October 2024. Dr. M. Vijaya Bharathi, MBBS MS, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Ovum Woman and Child Speciality Hospitals, Bangalore addressing the girl students and faculty members of our college on the Topic “Women’s Well-being and Sanitization”. The session addressed many health issues in women which are often ignored and also created awareness for a healthy well-being. Many concerns and queries raised by the audience were effectively clarified by the resource person. The session was well appreciated by the audience

Training on Self Defense
Date: 09 October 2024
With an objective of empowering and strengthening girls of college, training on self-defense was organised by the Women’s Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College on 9th October 2024. The session was led by Ms. Rossa Saby, a post graduate student of Forensic Science and a Taekwondo National Medalist. The session for girl students of the college dealt with tactical defending techniques and making the right decision while in a dangerous situations and the importance of being alert. The session was an interactive and informative session where students raised their concerns about safety and self – defense. The doubts were resolved with practical, technical strategies and awareness. The session helped the girl students to understand and be prepared to avoid dangerous situations.

SRUJANA
Date: 25 September 2024
Women’s Empowerment Cell under the auspices of Kristu Jayanti College conducted an art, craft and food stall “Srujana’ on 25th September 2024. Students actively participated by displaying their artefacts for sale. The initiative encouraged students to boost their creativity and was successful in terms of participation and involvement from the students.

Women Empowerment
Date: 20 September 2024
Women’s Empowerment Cell under the auspices of Kristu Jayanti College organized a street play on 20th September 2024, on the topic ‘Women Empowerment’. The play began by depicting the everyday life of a young victim, gradually revealing how societal forces darkened her once bright and carefree world. The play's progression was thoughtfully planned and executed with care. Its appropriate length and emotionally charged content kept the audience engaged throughout. The students gained valuable and insightful experience under the guidance of the teacher in charge.

10th International Conference on Intersecting Public-Private Schisms: Engendering The Everyday
Date: 15 March 2024
The Women's Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College Autonomous, Bengaluru organized the 10th International Conference on "Intersecting Public-Private Schisms:Engendering The Everyday" on 15th March 2024. The inauguration was graced by the Chief Guest Dr. Christiana Singh, Principal,Lady Doak College and Guest of Honour, Dr. Fabiene Jacquet, CEO, Innoveve LLC, USA. In his residential address, Rev. Dr. Augustine George, Principal,Kristu Jayanti College stressed on the news for Gender Sensitization and the need for breaking barriers in public and private schism..Dr.Christianna Singh in her inaugural address spoke about her life and experiences and shared the knowledge and practices adopted in her personal and professional life that could break the stereotype set in the society for each gender.The main objective of the conference was to bring together leading academicians, researchers, practitioners, and students to exchange and share their experiences and research outputs on all aspects of women empowerment. It was also meant to provide a premier interdisciplinary platform to present and discuss the most recent normative and pragmatic implications of gender equity at the lager domain. The schedule of the conference consisted of two plenary sessions and paper presentations both virtual and in person addressing the legacy and the transformations affecting the trend of women empowerment engendering every aspect of human society. The conference maintained a high-quality peer-review process for all the manuscripts submitted, starting with a primary evaluation that included a plagiarism check for the original contents..

SRUJANA 2024, an Art and Craft exhibition Cum Sales
Date: 26 February 2024
The Women’s Empowerment Cell organized SRUJANA 2024, an Art and Craft exhibition Cum Sales, on 26th February 2024, from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at M1-(Main Block) for the students of Kristu Jayanti College. Srujana was organized to create a platform for youngsters to portray their talents and entrepreneurial skills. Students displayed their art and craft products in the exhibition for sale. The Event was inaugurated by Rev Fr. Joshy Mathew, Head, Department of English, Kristu Jayanti College Autonomous, Bengaluru.

Guest Lecture on “Health and Hygiene”
Date: 30 January 2024
On January 30, 2024, the Women Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College organized a guest lecture on Health and Hygiene to educate and empower students on essential aspects of well-being. The lecture was a significant initiative, shedding light on crucial topics that often go overlooked. The credit for the event's success goes to Dr. Mamatha B. Shetty, the resource person, along with the dedicated faculty members and volunteers of the Women Empowerment Cell.

The event commenced with a warm welcome by the organizers, expressing gratitude to the participants, faculty, and the distinguished speaker, Dr. Mamatha B. Shetty. The Women Empowerment Cell highlighted the importance of such sessions in fostering awareness and understanding regarding health and hygiene, especially among the youth.

Dr. Shetty dedicated her lecture to women's health. She discussed common health concerns faced by women and the importance of regular check-ups. Her lecture was both informative and engaging, covering a range of topics related to health and hygiene. She started by emphasizing the significance of maintaining good health, not just as an individual responsibility but as a collective societal duty. Dr. Shetty also highlighted on the importance of managing good health through three important daily disciplines: healthy food habits, exercise and good sleep. The audience was captivated as she delved into the various other aspects of physical and mental well-being, connecting them to overall empowerment. The session was fruitful for the participants and the organizers expressed their heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in making the lecture a memorable and impactful experience.

STRENGTHEN- A self-defence awareness program
Date: 24 January 2024
STRENGTHEN- A self-defence awareness program organized by the women’s empowerment cell of Kristu Jayanti College, Autonomous, commemorating National Child Day on 24th January 2024. The event focused on educating young women on self-defence with tactical defending techniques, making the right decision in dangerous situations, and being alert. The event was led by Mr. Prabhash Kumar Mandal, a skilled trainer and expert in martial arts. It was an interactive and informative session where students raised their concerns about safety and self-defence and were guided and resolved with practical and technical awareness.

Inauguration of Crochet and Knitting Certification Course
Date: 19 October 2023
The Women’s Empowerment Cell organized and started a comprehensive certificate course in crochet and knitting, commencing on October 19th, 2023. The course is designed to provide participants with practical skills and knowledge in the art of crochet and knitting, with the aim of fostering creativity, empowerment, and entrepreneurship among women. Dr. Pauline, Assistant Professor, Department of English, is the resource person. The course aims at catering to participants with varying experience levels, from beginners to those with a basic understanding of these crafts. Each session focuses on hands-on learning, enabling participants to create intricate designs and functional items, thereby instilling confidence and skill development.

The course inauguration, graced by the esteemed presence of Fr. Josy Mathew, commenced with an inspiring speech highlighting the significance of skill development and gender equality in fostering a progressive society. His words resonated with the audience, emphasising the importance of empowering women through education and vocational training. His insightful address set the tone for a dynamic learning environment, fostering a sense of enthusiasm and determination among the participants.

A Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Program – “My Menstruation, My Pride”
Date: 18 October 2023
On October 18, 2023, the Women Empowerment Cell organised an enlightening online Zoom meeting session titled “My Menstruation, My Pride.” The session, aimed at promoting menstrual hygiene awareness and empowerment among women, witnessed an impressive turnout of participants and a thought-provoking presentation by the resource person Ms.Roshini Bowmick.

The session commenced with a stimulating and informative address by Roshini Bowmick, a women's health and hygiene advocate from Unicharm India. Ms.Bowmick's engaging session highlighted various critical aspects of menstrual hygiene, including the importance of maintaining proper hygiene practices, breaking taboos associated with menstruation, and fostering a positive attitude towards this natural bodily process. She emphasised the significance of inclusive education and encouraged an open dialogue among the participants, fostering a supportive environment for discussion and learning.

The success of the training session can be attributed in part to the active involvement of the dedicated faculty members and coordinators from the Women Empowerment Cell. Their meticulous planning and seamless execution ensured a smooth flow of the event, creating a conducive environment for the participants to engage in the discussions actively. The coordinators' commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive atmosphere greatly contributed to the overall success of the session.

The training session witnessed a commendable display of enthusiasm and dedication from the volunteers. Their unwavering support in managing technical aspects, facilitating discussions, and assisting the participants in addressing their queries played a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth conduct of the session. The active participation of the attendees further enriched the session, fostering an atmosphere of mutual learning and support. It was evident from the questions and doubts they posed. It was an overall enlightening session.

Break Free: Self-Defence Awareness Program
Date: 21 November 2022
Break Free - A self-defence awareness program organised by the women empowerment cell of Kristu Jayanti College, Autonomous. The event focused on educating young women on self-defence with tactical defending techniques, making the right decision in unsafe circumstances, and being alert. The event was led by Mr Prabhash Kumar Mandal, a skilled trainer and fighter. It was an interactive and informative session where students raised their concerns about safety and self-defence and were guided with practical and technical awareness. 

Certificate Course on Crochet and Knitting
Date: 16 November 2022
The Women’s Empowerment Cell is hosting a 30-hour certificate course on Crochet and Knitting for the students of Kristu Jayanti College. The session was inaugurated by Fr. Joshy Mathew, Director, Library and Information Centre, and HR Department, on November 11, 2022. Fr. Joshy appreciated the students for their willingness to participate in the skill enhancement programme. Dr. Rema M. K., Coordinator, Women’s Empowerment Cell, Dr. Pauline V. N., Assistant Professor, Department of English, and the instructor for the session, faculty coordinators, student coordinators, and participants were present for the session. The certificates for the winners of the Poster Making Competition which was organised Women’s Empowerment Cell, on November 14, 2022, were also distributed.

Dr. Pauline V. N. demonstrated the basic crochet stitches and guided the students through the same. The course provides a platform to learn a new skill and at the same time created a relaxing environment for the students

Poster Making Competition
The Women’s Empowerment Cell organised a Poster Making Competition on the occasion of Children’s Day 2022. The theme of the competition was “Overbearing expectations of girlhood”. The students were asked to prepare digital posters and submit them online. Four winners were selected from 14 entries. A. Sherlin Gomez (2nd year BSC Forensic Science) bagged the first prize, Isha Kumari (1st year BCOM P7) bagged the second prize, Annabel Shyju (1st year BBA) and Ayushi Yadev (1st year BBA AM) shared the third prize. The certificates for the winners were distributed by Fr. Joshy Mathew, Director, Library and Information Centre, and HR Department, on November 11, 2022.

Srujana 2022- an Art and Craft Exhibition
Women Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College conducted Srujana 2022- an Art and Craft Exhibition cum Sale by all UG and PG students on 11 May 2022. Mr. Sudhakar Pola, Executive Director. Audit Partnership Ltd and Fr. Joshy Mathew, Coordinator, Department of PG inaugurated the exhibition. The Chief Guest along with Fr. Joshy Mathew visited every stall with great excitement, interest, curiosity and expressed his appreciation and happiness with the skills and talents of the students who had put an exhibition cum sale of their creativity. There were 26 stalls setups by students displaying their creativity and skills put to the best use. The stalls were visited by faculty and students of the college and there was a quick sale of the products displayed. Visitors appreciated the stalls and creativity of the student.

Students found the exhibition cum sale as a booster for their self-confidence thereby enhancing their entrepreneurial and marketing skills. It also encouraged the students to be self- dependent.

8th Virtual International Conference on Gender Equity: Barriers, Inclusion and Enablers
The Women’s Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous) Bangalore, organized 8th Virtual International Conference on Gender Equity: Barriers, Inclusion and Enablers on 8th March 2022 celebrating International Women’s Day. More than 250 participants registered for the conference from academia, corporates and NGOs. The inaugural session was graced by the chief guest Prof. Shalini Bharat, Vice Chancellor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Dr. Pauline V N, Coordinator, Womens’ Empowerment Cell delivered a prelude to the conference. Presidential address was rendered by Rev. Dr. Augustine George, Principal, Kristu Jayanti College where Rev. Fr. Stressed on the role of Kristu Jayanti College and Women’s Empowerment Cell to bridge the gender gap. He also mentioned the measures the cell and the college takes to encourage women faculty menmbers as major descioson makers and give equal opportunity to all. The inaugural address by Prof. Shalini Bharat, Hon. Vice Chancellor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai enlightened the audience on gender inequality, gender gap and measures to balance the gender scale by bringing down the barriers and elevating the enablers. First keynote session by Dr. Fabienne Jacquet, CEO Innoveve LLC, USA was an eye opener. Dr. Fabienne mentioned that women have fewer opportunities for economic participation than men, less access to basic and higher education, greater health and safety risks, and less political representation. Empowered women and girls contribute to the health and productivity of their families, communities, and countries, creating a ripple effect that benefits everyone. focusses on developing markets for innovations that advance gender equality; integrating gender issues within innovation; promoting women as innovators and entrepreneurs; and investing directly in technology-driven innovative solutions that meet the needs of women and girls. The second keynote session by Ms. Challapalli Swaroopa Rani, Professor, Centre for Mahayana Buddhist Studies, Acahrya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh spoke on barriers for growth of women, violence faced by women, honour killing and lack of basic amenities for women. The speaker for third keynote Session was Ms. Vidushi from Aweksha who spoke on the recovery, and personal journey with the goals of hope, empowerment and autonomy. She emphasized that for many people with mental health challenges, recovery is often possible and many factors contribute to recovery, including having a good support system of people that you like, respect and trust. The fourth keynote session was a recorded sesson by Dr. Diana Fox, Professor and Chairperson of Anthropology, Bridgewater State University, Massachusetts which focussed on role of Bridgewater State University in enacting decolonial feminisms through collaboration with United Maroon Peoples. The organizing committee received seventy two paper presentations which were grouped into six panels and the presentations were chaired by experienced academicians and conducted in parallel. The papers had research areas ranging from gender equity to gender gap and also effect of the pandemic on women population. The valedictory session was graced by Prof. Shaknuntala Khatre, Hon. Secretary (Academics), Mysore Education Society (MES) and Former Dean of Science and Registrar, Bangalore University. Prof. Shakuntala Khatre spoke on gender equity and equality and the need to abolish the gender gap. The presidential address was given by Fr. Lijo P Thomas, Financial Administrator, Kristu Jayanti College. The conference report was presented by Dr. Sangeetha Menon, Member, Womens’ Empowerment Cell. All the sessions were well received by the participants and the conduct of the conference was appreciated by all.

Expert Lecture- Women’s Wellness- A Guide to Gynaecology Health Issues
Date: 26/02/2022
Objective: To enlighten on Healthcare and wellness of women life after her thirties.

The session on women’s wellness- an expert lecture on “Guide to Gynaecology Health issues” was organised by the Women’s Empowerment Cell, Kristu Jayanti College on 26th February 2022 from 5:00pm-6:30pm on zoom platform for female faculty members of the college.

The programme began by a prayer song rendered by the college choir.

Mr. Dominik of Motherhood Hospital, spoke on the facilities of the hospital and gave a brief introduction of Dr. Nagaveni. The Emcee, Ms Pranjal- Student Coordinator of Women’s Empowerment Cell started gave a brief introduction of the resource person.

The resource person explained the various aspects of women’s wellness in 30s and 40s, covering major issues like mental health, importance of exercise for working women, hormonal issues like PCOS and PCOD, perimenopause- symptoms and how to deal with it, importance of regular health screenings, breast cancer, cervical cancer, osteoporosis and many more. Along with the presentation, she also had a valuable amount of interaction time clearing doubts, lending solutions for the good health of women.

Keerthi T N, Coordinator, Women’s’ Empowerment Cell delivered vote of thanks followed by Jayantian Anthem rendered by the college choir.

Expert Lecture on “Health, Hygiene and Well- being Among Adolescents”
Date: 30th Nov, 2021
Name and details of the Resource Person: Dr. Roopesh BN, Additional Professor of NIMHANS
Objective: The importance of awareness about ‘Health, Hygiene and Well-being Among Adolescents’.

The Women Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College organised an Expert Lecture for the I Year BA students where Dr. Roopesh BN, Additional Professor of NIMHANS was the resource person. The session started with a prayer followed by the welcome speech of Mr Jousha of 1st year BA. The resource person started the session with a brainstorming on What is Health. He explained the connection between health, hygiene and well-being with special emphasise to adolescence. He explained the importance of health and hygiene in the context of adolescence development. He explained the body changes of a human body during puberty. He emphasised the importance of sleep and exercise and how to deal with depression, anxiety, and worries. The session was interesting, with several case studies. The session ended with a question-answer session where the audience asked several questions. The session ended with the auto thanks by Mr Sean Mathew Paul of 1st year BA.

Expert Lecture on “Adolescent Health and Hygiene”
Date: 19/11/2021
The Women Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous) Bangalore, organized an Expert Lecture on “Adolescent Health and Hygiene”exclusively for the first year undergraduate girl students of the department on 19th November 2021 at 11:30 am, in Mini Auditorium III. Dr. Saritha, MBBS, MS (OBG),FMAS, Falcon Healthcare Multi-speciality Clinic and Diagnostic Centre, K Narayanapura enlightened the students about the importance of personal hygiene and Adolescent Health.

In her talk, Dr.Saritha mentioned the significance of regular exercise, proper diet and stress-free environment for proper reproductive health and highlighted on the inevitability of being aware of personal growth and changes and irregularities in the menstrual cycle that could be indicators of serious health issues. The speaker shared insights on the biological aspects of growth and changes in women and gave tips on how to improve on their personal hygiene. She spoke about hormonal changes that lead to emotional and behavioural changes during puberty. Around 200 participants attended the session with great enthusiasm. The session was interactive and several queries were raised by the students and all the queries were addressed by the speaker. The session ended with a Vote of Thanks.

Awareness Programme on “Menstrual Health and Hygiene”
Date: 04/11/2021

The Women Empowerment Cell ,Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous) Bangalore, organized an awareness programme on “Menstrual Health and Hygiene” exclusively for the first year undergraduate girl students of the department on 4h November 2021 at 10:00 am via Zoom Video conferencing portal. Dr. Annamma Thomas, Professor and Head of the Department of OBG, St.Johns Medical College and Hospital, Bengaluru, enlightened the students about the importance of personal hygiene and menstrual Health.

In her talk, Dr. Annamma Thomas mentioned the significance of regular exercise, proper diet and stress-free environment for proper reproductive health and highlighted on the inevitability of being aware of personal growth and changes and irregularities in the menstrual cycle that could be indicators of serious health issues. The speaker shared insights on the biological aspects of growth and changes in women and gave tips on how to improve on their personal hygiene. She spoke about hormonal changes that lead to emotional and behavioural changes during puberty. Around 200 participants attended the session with great enthusiasm. The session was interactive and several queries were raised by the students and all the queries were addressed by the speaker. The session ended with a Vote of Thanks.

Expert Lecture on Menstrual Health and Hygiene
Date: 26- 10 -2021
Name and details of the Resource Person: Ms. Roshnee Bhowmick, CSR Executive, Unicharm India
Objective:
1. To increase awareness among adolescent girls on Menstrual Hygiene.
2. To increase access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins to adolescent girls in rural areas.
3. To ensure safe disposal of Sanitary Napkins in an environmentally friendly manner.

The Women Empowerment Cell in collaboration with Department of Professional Accounting and Finance of Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous) Bangalore, organized an awareness Programme on “Menstrual Health and Hygiene” exclusively for the first and Second year undergraduate girl students of Professional Accounting and Finance on 26th October 2021 at 10:00 am using Zoom Video Conferencing portal. Ms. Theertha Student coordinator, welcomed the resource Person Ms. Roshnee Bhowmick, CSR Executive, Unicharm India who spoke to the students about the importance of female reproductive system and gender specific awareness about ‘Menstrual Health and Personal Hygiene’. In her talk, Ms. Roshnee Bhowmick, mentioned the significance of regular exercise, proper diet and stress-free environment for proper reproductive health. She insisted the students to do regular exercises for their personal wellbeing and counselled the students on how to cope up with stress and mood-swings during the days of menstruation. This was followed by a feedback session. Around 300 Participants attended the session with great enthusiasm and their queries were also resolved by the resource person.

Expert Lecture Gender Sensitization in college Campus
Date: 30-09-2021
Classes Attended & Number of beneficiaries: B Com, 250 students
Name and details of the Resource Person: Ms. Jacintha S Kumaraswamy, Secretary and chief Functionary, Sakti, Bengaluru

The programme started at 10.00 am with a note of welcome, following that Dr.Rema MK, Co-ordinator of the Women empowerment Cell introduced the Guest Speaker, Ms. Jacintha S Kumaraswamy. Ms. Jacintha S Kumaraswamy enlightened the students on Gender Sensitization and created an awareness, bringing forward the distinction between sex and gender whilst defining other gender related problems faced by women. She insisted on the importance of education and how it could change the mindset of the people. She said that in order to have a better understanding of the concepts of equality and non-discrimination one should have knowledge on gender roles, gender stereotypes, gender discrimination, gender based violence, masculinity, patriarchy, gender equality and so on. Her motivational talk dealt with curbing the gender biases prevailing in the society and to empower girls and women to achieve their goals. She aimed at sensitizing adolescent girls and boys towards existing gender inequalities and strongly encouraged gender parity. The programme successfully concluded at 11.am with the vote of thanks.

Expert Lecture On Gender Sensitization in College Campus
Date: 18-09-2021
Time: 8.30 -9.40am
Classes Attended: III BCA (A, B, C & D) & III CSME/CSMS/PME/PMCS/MSE Number of beneficiaries: 350
Name and details of the Resource Person: Prof. Anitha Kurup Head, Department of Education, School of Social Sciences,National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

An Expert Lecture on ‘Gender sensitization in college campus’, was organized by the Computer Science Department and Women Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College on 18-09-2021, Saturday. Offering thanks to God, the session started at 08:30 a.m. with a welcome address. After the address, Prof. Anita Kurup (Head, Dept of Education, NIAS, Bengaluru), the resource person for the day, was invited to lead with the lecture.

Being a very important and sensitive topic, all the students were very keen in knowing more. Prof. Anita Kurup started the lecture by defining what the correct meaning of sex and gender was, and their differences. She explained the process of child bearing, which includes pregnancy, birth and the early nursing period, along with child rearing which is often differently perceived in our society, and by women themselves. She instilled the students, the thought and idea of gender equality, and the responsibilities of men in raising children.

Next, she brought light into one of the major issues in our society, gender discrimination in the households. Also, Prof. Anita Kurup introduced the common stereotype of women doing chores, and men not meant to be doing so. The lecture ended with a discussion with the students, and Prof. Anita Kurup led the same, after which the vote of thanks was presented, and the meeting was ended.

7th National Conference on Women in Leadership
Women Empowerment Cell organized a conference on Women in Leadership was decided to conduct on international women’s day  in accord with the United Nations theme for 2021, on 8th March 2021. Considering the main topic of the conference various sub-topics were decided like women in business, women in politics, women in health-care, women in education, women in sports, women in entrepreneurship, women in society, women in media, women in technology, women in science, women in law & justice and women in startups. The main objective of the conference is to provide a platform to discuss and debate on the leadership of women in various areas.

The conference was inaugurated by Dr. Vaidehi Vijayakumar, Vice Chancellor, Mother Teresa Women’s University, Tamilnadu. Dr. Vaidehi during her inaugural address inspired the gathering and urged all the women to come out of their comfort zone and take up leadership in all domains. She stressed that women are no less than men and that every women should strive to achieve their rights and put in effort to support other impoverished women. The presidential address was given by Principal, Kristu Jayanti College, Rev Dr. Augustine George. Father requested women while facing challenges to move forward with confidence to take bigger roles. He urged women to strive for greater heights. The welcome address was given by Dr. Rema MK, and the prelude was read by Dr. Jisha VG,. Dr. Sangeetha Menon introduced the chief guest and Dr. Vinotha Devi proposed a vote of thanks.

Eminent and powerful women leaders were invited to be the resource persons for the keynote sessions. The topic for the first Keynote session was women empowerment through innovation, the second one was on women leaders: perfect blend of head and heart and the third one was on emotional intelligence: the extra edge in women leadership.

Keynote Session 1: Dr. Fabienne Jacquet, founder & CEOof Innoveve was the resource person for the first keynote session on women empowerment through innovation. She mentioned that in India only 7% women are ceos and only 14% women working in STEM roles. According to her, innovation is something new that creates values. Both feminine and masculine are needed for innovation. She confirmed that empathy, nurturing and collaborations are the key feminine characteristics.

Keynote Session 2: The second keynote session on women leaders: perfect blend of head and heart was addressed by Dr. Sr. Pearl, Principal, Sophia Girls College, Ajmer. Sister explained the importance of women leadership using many famous quotes. According to her, the countries having women leadership managed to flatten the curves related to Corona pandemic due to their proactive decision-making. She concluded by emphasizing on the feminine traits like creative, delicate, intuitive, nurturing, receptive, tender, surrendering, synthesizing ,integrating , soft and feeling that is rooted deep into the hearts of women.

Paper Presentation The research paper presentation started at 12o’clock noon. There were five parallel online tracks. For each track around 12 to 15 papers were presented. Research papers related to women leadership in different divisions were presented. Each track was chaired by professors who are proficient in this area.  Around 125 people registered and out of it around 65 individuals presented their papers in the conference.

Keynote Session 3: The third session on emotional intelligence: the extra edge in women leadership was addressed by Dr. Rajshree Trivedi, Principal, Maniben Nanavati Women’s College, Affiliated to SNDT Women’s University Mumbai. She emphasized the importance of emotional intelligence to manage the emotions in the right way. She spoke on the key areas such as self-awareness, management and self-performance. She highlighted the importance of maintaining interpersonal skills, social skills, empathy and anger in efficient leadership. Madam spoke about the four barriers that concern women in business like structural barrier, institutional mindsets, individual mindsets, lifestyle choices. She stressed on the fact that women should know to handle stress and aspire to soar high and not to succumb to situations.

Valedictory Session: Dr. Sheela Ramachandran, Pro Chancellor, Atmiya University, Gujarat was the chief guest for the valedictory session. The welcome address was given by Dr. Pauline and the profile of the resource person was read by Dr.Geethu and vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. Shuba. Dr. Sheela stressed that women are constantly evolving and reaching new milestones across a wide spectrum of human activities in modern times. She said from leading nations, to standing up for human rights, to running the world’s most important organisations, women continue to shape the world through their leadership. The program culminated by singing the national anthem.

Competition Series Commemorating National Girl Child Day
Women empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College strives to Empower girl children’s for a better tomorrow. With this objective the cell is organizing a competition series to showcase the talents of Women children’s in the campus to commemorate National Girl Child Day. The National Girl Child Day is celebrated in India every year on January 24. It was started by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Government of India in 2008, with the purpose to spread awareness among people about all the inequalities girls face in the Indian society.

Women empowerment cell had conducted a competition series for all UG and PG students (Both boys and girls). Students registered and participated in collage making and photo essay on the theme “OUR SPACE OUR RIGHT”. The registration for the event opened on 11th January 2021 and closes on 22nd January 2021. Students who registered participated through Google form. A total of 17 students submitted their photo essay and collage. This event helped spreading awareness among students about all the inequalities faced by girls in the country and also promoted awareness about the rights of a girl child. The event on the whole helped in bringing out the creativity and innovation of the students.

Webinar on “Stand up Human Rights”
Women Empowerment cell , organized a webinar on the topic “Stand Up for Human Rights” on Saturday, 12th December at 03.30 pm for First year undergraduate girl students across deaneries. The resource person for the event was Mr. Saji Thomas, Advocate (Kerala High Court). The session aimed to bring awareness about the human rights among women and also strengthen and empower each individual. Mr.Saji Thomas focused on the best practices for elimination and prevention of violation of the human rights.

Mr. Saji spoke about the rights of the women as human beings. The webinar covered topics about the human rights and elaborated on the relevance of understanding. Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination. This webinar raised awareness on the issues of human rights violations, and helped the students to identify educational and social strategies to address the issues pertaining to human rights and to collectively, share and develop innovative responses and best practices for elimination and prevention of violation of the human rights. He also spoke about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). There were 295 participants for the webinar. The session was effective and informative for all the undergraduate girls’ students.

Empowering Women in Crisis towards a Stable Livelihood
The Women Empowerment Cell (WEC) of Kristu Jayanti college has been constituted to empower and safe-guard the rights of women. The WEC works to promote gender sensitivity in the society and conducts diverse programme to educate women in this area. WEC has a collaboration with the Institute for Family well-being in providing community exchange services for promoting the wellbeing and interest of women survivors of violence. WEC is also providing experiential learning opportunities and conducts awareness programme regarding women’s rights and building healthy interpersonal relationship. We work for the welfare of downtrodden women by conducting workshops to empower them. It enables women in crisis who have to overcome from their difficulties by providing them a platform to sell their confectionery products within the college premises, thus providing them a livelihood.

Goal and Objective: To reskill and up skill women survivors of domestic and community violence by join hand with NGOs in the field by providing counseling and skill training
Duration: 2019-2020 (One year)
The process
• Interacted with community to identify the needy women who are survivors of violence.
• Supportive counseling provided along with skill training to start own preparations of confectionary products.
• Helped in distribution of the confectionary products prepared by women
Impact of the practice: Women were willing to be accept changes and lead an independent life.

Benefit or outcome of the project:
• Prevention of domestic violence and has made women self – reliant with the support provided
• Increased livelihood through sustainable development in financial status

Women Empowerment Cell Guest lecture on “Opportunities and Challenges faced by Young Women Entrepreneurs”
The Women Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College organized a guest lecture on “Opportunities and Challenges faced by Young Women Entrepreneurs”. It was organized on 21st October 2020 at 03:30 pm via Zoom. The program was arranged for Final year girl students of B.Com, BBA, BA JPEng, BA JPSEng, M.Sc. (Life science and Psychology), M.Com and MA Economics. Speaker of the day was Ms. Forrum Shah, Director of Gold Star Group and Co- founder of Gembox. The main objective of the guest lecture was to create awareness among the students regarding Opportunities and Challenges faced by Young Women Entrepreneurs. Ms. Forrum Shah, as a successful women entrepreneur shared her valuable experience with the students. She also mentioned the importance of celebrating the milestones achieved, drafting of ideas, necessity of financial management and relevance of work life balance. Students also learned various strategies to be adopted as an entrepreneur. She also explained how to tackle the challenging situations as a women entrepreneur. Most importantly, the session helped to boost the young minds of Kristu Jayanti College towards a bright future.

Women Empowerment Cell Webinar “Health and Hygiene”: Dr.Annama Thomas
The Women Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous) Bangalore, organized a webinar on “Health and Hygiene” exclusively for the first year undergraduate girl students of Commerce/ Management/Computer Science on 29th September 2020 at 10.30 am using Zoom Video Conferencing portal. Dr. Rema, faculty coordinator of the women empowerment welcomed the Chief Guest. The session was presided over by Dr. Annama Thomas, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, St. John’s Hospital who spoke to the students about the importance of gender specific awareness about ‘Teenage Health and Personal Hygiene’ and early detection of breast and cervical cancers.

In her seminar, Dr. Annamma Thomas mentioned the significance of regular exercise, proper diet and stress-free environment for proper reproductive health and highlighted on the inevitability of being aware of personal growth and changes and irregularities in the menstrual cycle that could be indicators of serious health issues. Dr.Annamma Thomas informed about the biological aspects of growth and changes in women and gave students tips on how to improve on their personal hygiene. She also educated the students on the importance of proper disposal of sanitary napkins.

Dr Annamma Thomas insisted the students to practice Yoga and regular exercises for student’s personal wellbeing and counseled the students on how to prepare and deal with stress and mood-swings on the days of menstruation.

In her view, unhealthy lifestyle during menstruation tends to cause genital tract infections and STD that further leads to complications in pregnancy in a later stage. She stated that poor menstrual hygiene can even lead to cervical cancers. In the last part of the session, she enlightened the students about self-examination tactics and methods for early detection of breast and cervical cancers. This was followed by a feedback session. More than 700 students attended the session with great zest and their queries were also resolved by the resource person.

Women Empowerment Cell Webinar on “Gender Equality And Women's Right In View Of Covid 19 Circumstances: From A Legal Perspective"
Resource Person:Prof. Dr. Sarasu Esther Thomas Registrar, National Law School of India University

Women are considered to be the back bone for a progressing nation. Women are empowered, when they are able to access the opportunities without limitations and restrictions and can make their own decisions. Gender equality is when both women and men experience equal conditions for realizing their full human potential, and have the opportunity to participate, contribute to and benefit equally. In today’s scenario, while the governments and policymakers are strategizing to battle the global pandemic, the issue of domestic violence against women amidst the lockdown has received little or no attention from them. The pandemic of violence against women aptly termed as ‘Shadow pandemic’ by Mr. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations has impacted the women across the globe, since women make up 70 percent of the health workforce and are more likely to be front-line health workers, especially nurses, midwives and community health workers. To highlight this issue, a webinar by Women Empowerment Cell of Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous), Bengaluru conducted a webinar on Gender Equality And Women’s Right in View of COVID 19 Circumstances: From a Legal Perspective" by Prof. Dr. Sarasu Esther Thomas, Registrar, National Law School of India University on 6th July 2020 at 2.30pm through zoom platform. There were 329 participants in the webinar. Prof. Sarasu is the Coordinator, Centre for Women and the Law, and also for Human Rights Lawyering Programme. She has served as Consultant to the UN organisation on Drugs and Crime, South Asia. She coordinates various outreach activities on Human rights, corporate social responsibility, Disability, Human Trafficking. Through her research articles and books, she represents women rights as the basic necessity not as special benefits. During the current Pandemic, she was seen encouraging law students to help those seeking justice by strengthening the Legal Service network.

Prof. Sarasu shared experiences and her continuous effort in helping women in achieving gender equality and is striving to reduce the effect of COVID 19 pandemic on women. She highlighted many cases of women being affected physically, emotionally, financially and in their health during the lockdown. According to her, the country is facing a pandemic and an age-old problem of domestic violence together. Often, the cases of domestic violence do not come out as people don’t heed to it as a problem because it happens in the personal sphere. She also stated out certain laws which can help women during this pandemic lockdown situations. This pandemic has stripped women of the short-lived freedom that they have, while going to work or to schools or colleges and it is indeed something to be pondered about. She made sure to discuss laws and norms that are in the constitution that talk about gender equality and stereotyping. She urged the participants to lend help directly or indirectly to women being abuse or exploited. She concluded the session by stating that equality starts at home. But the problem starts in the upbringing of boys and girls where girls are asked to do household work whereas boys are just asked to concentrate on their studies. The session was actively participated with lots of queries and doubts from participants. Dr. Sarasu answered all the queries patiently and urged everyone to contact her for further information.