Breaking gender stereotypes on administrative chair

Gurvinder Singh

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 7

Female officers are not only working for the betterment of women, but are breaking gender stereotypes by sitting in administrative chairs higher up the order, supervising a battery of men and contributing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts for the administrative machinery to improve.

ADC (Development) Apneet Riyait said: “Though things have changed for the better with increasing awareness and issues of gender inequality being highlighted, a lot still needs to be done. For any change to happen for women, education is the most important thing.”

“Education must become more accessible, easier and affordable for girls, so that parents don’t feel any burden in educating the girl child. Educating girls is the cornerstone of women empowerment,” she said.

Hailing from Phagwara, she completed her graduation from Jalandhar, she pursued Masters in Political Studies as well as M.Phil from JNU.

A 2011 batch IAS officer, she joined as SDM Jagraon (under training) and worked as ADC General and ADC Development at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar before joining here last month.

Riyait said every workplace should be more comfortable for women and must be gender sensitive so that males understand and know how to respect women.

“Success of women who battles difficult circumstances to carve a niche in male-dominated professions must be celebrated so that they inspire other women to look up to them to bridge the gender inequality in those professions,” she says.

There has been marked improvement in sex ratio now. “The good thing is that the issue is now in everybody’s notice. And there has been a positive change as well. The last few years have seen almost equal number of men and women in IAS, IPS and state civil services from the state, which is a good sign,” she said.

Special health check-up camps for women 

Ludhiana: Pancham Hospital will organise a special women health check-up camp from March 8 to 12. Dr Kanwaljit Kaur, CEO and chief gynaecologist of the hospital, said the hospital would focus on women health awareness during this week. She said women deserved special care.  Dr Kanwalit said some diseases were common in women such as cervix cancer, which required regular screening for prevention. “As many as 15 to 20 new cases are added per 1 lakh women per year. The rate of cervix cancer is 1.5 – 2 times higher in rural women, while in urban women it is decreasing by 18% every decade.” Dr RP Singh, MD and interventional cardiologist, said: “Women are safe from heart disease before the age of 45 because of protection by female hormones. But this protection is lost due to high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes or smoking.” He also announced concessional packages of screening and testing for women in the camp during the week. — TNS

Women made aware of their rights

In the wake of International Women's Day, Nav Chetna Women Front, a wing of Nav Chetna Bal Bhali Front, organised an awareness seminar and exhibition at the circuit house here on Monday. 

Office-bearers of the Front said the objective was to make women aware about their rights.

A painting competition was also held, wherein students from several schools participated.

Front president Sukhdhir Singh Sekhon said they have been working to empower women for long and create awareness about the social evils and issues related to children welfare.

Kamaljit Kaur Kaler, president, Nav Chetna Women Front, said they have been working for the dignity and social status of women. 

MLA Ranjit Singh Dhillon and District Education Officer (Primary) Gurjot Singh were also present on the occasion. They distributed prizes to the winners of the painting competition.