| Pondicherry University organises Workshop on “Learning History, Writing Futures: Workshop for Reflection, Writing” | | |
early times report
Poundicheery, Nov 12: The Centre for Women’s Studies, School of Social Sciences & International Studies, Pondicherry University, in collaboration with the Indian Association for Women’s Studies (IAWS), organised a two-day workshop titled “Learning History, Writing Futures: A Workshop for Reflection and Writing.”
The event was inaugurated and presided over by Prof. P. Prakash Babu, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University, who delivered an inspiring Presidential Address. In his remarks, Professor Babu emphasized that Women’s Studies in India has grown both as an academic discipline and as a movement for social transformation, rooted in the nation’s long struggle for equality and justice. He traced its evolution from the reform movements of the 19th and early 20th centuries, led by pioneers such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Savitribai Phule, Jyotirao Phule, Pandita Ramabai, Tarabai Shinde, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain onto women’s participation in India’s freedom struggle, to the post-independence era marked by constitutional commitments to gender equality. Highlighting the significance of the landmark “Towards Equality” (1975) report by the Committee on the Status of Women in India, he noted its critical role in exposing structural gender disparities and paving the way for the institutionalisation of Women’s Studies in universities across the country. He also acknowledged the pioneering contributions of Neera Desai at SNDT Women’s University in shaping the academic and activist foundations of gender studies in India. He finally reiterated the role of Women’s Studies in becoming a bridge between academia and activism.
Dr. Kalpana Karunakaran, President of the Indian Association for Women’s Studies (IAWS) and Professor at IIT Madras, delivered the Inaugural Address, reflecting on feminist scholarship, the politics of memory, and the transformative power of writing as a feminist act. Dr. Meena Gopal, Associate Professor at the Centre for Women’s Studies, Pondicherry University, welcomed the gathering and outlined the objectives and collaborative ethos of the workshop.
The workshop featured enriching presentations and interactive sessions led by eminent scholars including A. Suneetha, Kalpana Karunakaran, Du Saraswathi, Sowjanya Tamalapakula, Aruvi B., Rekha Raj, V. Geetha, and Selvam. Notably, Aruvi B. demonstrated and instructed participants on the use of Papeeria, an open-source online text editor for professional document formatting, along with BibTeX, a citation management tool widely used in academia for its precision and portability.
She also introduced the concept of automated version control—an innovative, tool-assisted approach that helps writers refine their work without the fear of losing progress. These sessions underscored the workshop’s commitment to combining feminist critical thought with digital literacy, fostering accessible, independent, and collaborative scholarship.
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