As future home makers, educated women must cultivate the conviction to prevent foeticide, infanticide, and other crimes since lopsided male to female ratio was bound to ruin harmony in society, Superintendent of Police R. Lalitha Lakshmi told students of Urumu Dhanalakshmi College on Thursday.
For every thousand men, the number of women had declined from 927 in 2001 to 914 in 2011. Deterioration of the situation would render the society crime-prone, the SP cautioned.
With awareness accruing from education, girl students ought to be assertive and retaliate wherever necessary and inspire others in family and friends circles to follow suit, the IPS officer said, taking part in the National Girl Child Day programme organised by the Tiruverumbur Sub-Division of Tiruchi District Police in association with the college.
Contrary to the perception that girls were a burden to the family, women have proved their mettle in all walks of life. Motherhood being a boon, women must raise girl children with a clear sense of equality, justice, and self-confidence. Foeticide or infanticide cannot happen without a mother’s consent. Increasing awareness among teachers and students on women’s rights through educational institutions will stand the society in good stead, the SP said.
In her address, S. Subha, Assistant Professor, Department of Women’s Studies, Bharathidasan University, said gender conditioning in families that is taken for granted in patriarchal society was the cause for a worrisome situation.
Though there were legal safeguards for equality and life, challenges arise when the rights are exercised, she said, and advocated a scientific understanding that women are as much capable of achieving with the freedom of thought. A realisation has to set in that barring the physique of gender, men and women are the same, Dr. Subha said. Such thinking is possible only with sound knowledge of rights and duties. The social system requires a revisit, she said, exuding confidence that the decision of the Central Government to incorporate components on gender studies in school curriculum will pave way for desirable change. Knowledge of law rather than just the existence of law will provide protection to women, she emphasised.
College Prinicpal S. Sekar said but for women, the institution of family will not sustain. Women faculty members J. Devi, S. Arunadevi, S. Manonmani, and A. Jercymary spoke on women’s rights, women’s health, women in society, and women’s capabilities respectively. College Chairman M.R. Subramanian, Deputy Superintendent of Police C. Palanichamy, and Tiruverumbur Inspector Manimaran took part.
