Women Development Cell
The University of Mumbai set up the ‘University Women Development Cell (UWDC)’ in the year 2001 with the key purpose of making the University a gender-sensitive space. The University also directed all its affiliated colleges to set up a ‘Women Development Cell’ at the college level. In compliance with these directives of the University, the Women Development Cell of A. Vartak College was established in the year 2001 under the able convener-ship of Prof. J. V. Kanetkar.
The Cell has both the faculty and students of the College and works with an aim to create a gender sensitised community within the campus as well as in the society.
It has been organising varied academic, cultural and social events for the upliftment of women and spread the importance of gender equality & gender sensitivity in society through the College students.
Mission and Vision
Women Development Cell aims at empowering and orienting women to recognise their true potential and to help them attain their own stand in a competing world.
The Women’s Development Cell (WDC) is a statutory body for the prevention of and action against sexual harassment of women.
Objectives of WDC
- To create awareness about health and hygiene among girl students.
- To promote the general well-being of female students and teaching and non-teaching women staff.
- To create social awareness about the problems of women in general and gender discrimination in particular by means of programs like lectures, workshops and seminars.
- To create legal awareness among women by informing them about Women’s Welfare Laws.
- To develop skills among the girl students by means of workshops and training programs for their overall personality development as well as for the encouragement of self-reliance among them.
The Department of WDC is located on the ground floor of the main building on the college premises. Separate notice board for WDC to display posters related to women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Faculty
- Prof. Vandana Bendale (Coordinator)
- Prof. Bina Patil
- Prof. Vaishali Khopkar
- Prof. Amrita Jadhav
- Prof. Shailesh Auti
- Prof. MinakshiBhatu
- Prof. Devika Gawand
- Prof. Greenal Rodrigues
Events and Activities
Every year WDC organised different competitions for students like Essay Competition and poster making competition. WDC organised motivated lectures on the different topics like“Self–Help Group”, “Women Empowerment”,“Protective Laws for Women”, etc. WDC organised workshops like“Sexual Harassment at Workplace” and “Smart Girl”. WDC conducts Self-defence training for girls.
Achievements
WDC participated in the Nation-ride Competition organized by the National Commission for women. The Objective of this competition was to generate awareness about legal right of women.The Competition comprises of lecture of advocate regarding legal rights of women followed by exam on that.