ACTIVITES AND PROGRAMMES

TRAINING PROGRAMMES

UGC Sponsored Training of Trainers Workshop on Capacity Building of Women Managers in Higher Education
The percentage of women at top decision-making levels in Indian Universities is very small and as yet, they are grossly underrepresented in decision-making bodies. The University Grants Commission has been endeavoring to weave gender equality and gender justice into its policies and university curricula. To induct a sizable number of women in the system who can make this perception known and understood at various levels of decision-making and to address the issue of quality interventions through training and development, UGC has launched the programme for “Capacity building of Women Managers in Higher Education”.

A Training of Trainers workshop on “Capacity Building of Women Managers In Higher Education was organized from 02.01.2012 to 07.01.2012. This programme was sponsored by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi.

Twenty-Nine women academicians in the rank of Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, Readers, Directors and Heads of Department from the following university/colleges participated.

Universities

• Anna University of Technology, Tirunelveli
• Anna University, Guindy, Chennai
• Bharathiar University
• Bharathidasan University
• Madurai Kamaraj University
• Manonmaniam Sundaranar University
• Mother Teresa Women's University
• The Gandhigram Rural Institute - Deemed University
• University of Madras

Colleges

• Arignar Anna Govt Arts College for Women, Walajapet
• Arulanandar College, Karamuthur
• Cauvery College for Women, Thiruchirappalli
• CMS Academy of Management and Technology, Coimbatore
• Government Arts College, Coimbatore
• Holy Cross College, Nagercoil
• Holy Cross College, Tiruchirapalli
• Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya,  Port Blair
• Kamaraj College of Engineering & Technology, Virudhunagar
• Lady Doak College, Madurai
• Nadar Mahajana Sangam S. Vellaichamy Nadar College, Nagamalai,Madurai
• Namakkal Kavingar Ramalingam Government Arts College for Women, Namakkal
• NGM College, Pollachi
• P.K.R Arts College for Women, Gobichettipalayam
• PSG College of Arts and Science,
• S.T. Hindu College, Nagercoil
• Seethalakshmi Ramasami College, Thiruchirapalli
• V.O. Chidambaram College, Tuticorin
• Women’s Christian College, Nagercoil

Prof.E.Balagurusamy, member- Education, State Planning Commission, Tamil Nadu, He was earlier member, Union Public Service Commission, Chairman of Consortium for Educational Communications (a Government of India Society for implementing Multimedia Educational Systems in Higher Education) and Vice- Chancellor of Anna University, Chennai delivered the inaugural address. Dr.Sheela Ramachandran, Vice Chandran, Vice Chancellor, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore in her presidential address remarked that trained women managers in the higher education institutions could well complement the efforts of men for a qualitative development of the system and ensure gender equity. Prof. Karuna Chanana, UGC Core Group Resource Person for Capacity Building of Women Managers in Higher Education chalked out the underlying objectives of organizing the workshop for the women academicians in the stream of higher education. Dr.K.Hemalatha, Professor, Dept. of Mathematics, Anna University & Regional Coordinator for this programme presented the regional context of this programme and gave a brief introduction about the background of the programme.

Women’s Studies Perspective, Women and Governance of Higher Education, Women and Academic Leadership, Personal and Professional Roles and Women and Research were the manuals covered in the workshop.  Prof. Susheela Kaushik, Co Chairperon and CGRP for South East, Former Director, Centre for Women’s Studies (Retd), University of Delhi, Prof. Sarbani Chaudhury, Regional Co-ordinator for East I - Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, South Bengal, Department Of English, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal, Dr. Helen Joseph, Key Trainer, College of Social Work,  Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai, Dr. Lata Narayan, Key Trainer and CGRP for Eastern Regions I & II Sikkim, North   and South Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa) School of Social Work,Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai      were the Trainer Associates for transacting the different manuals.

Training Programme for Women in Local Governance
In collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Institute of Urban Studies, Coimbatore, a training programme was organized for the women councillors from all over the State of Tamil Nadu. A total of 750 women councillors (35 batches) were trained on “women and development programmes” during the month of July – October 2005. This training programme was a collaborative effort between the Women’s Studies Centres of Mother Teresa University, Kodaikanal, Alagappa University, Karaikudi and Avinashilingam University for Women, Coimbatore.

Skill training activities
Skill training activities on food preservation (preparation of masala powders an squash) was organized for a batch of 30 women folk from Kauvandampalayam, Kannapanagar and Narashimhanaickenpalayam to enable them to initiate income generating activities. The training programme was organized from 18.10.2005 to 28.10.2005.

Capacity Building for SHG Women
A capacity building programme was organized for the Self Help Group women belonging to Kalappanaickenpalayam village in Periyanaickenpalayam Block. The training programme was organized in six batches wherein 20 – 25 women were trained in each batch on mushroom cultivation, fast food preparation, candle making, herbal therapy and artificial jewellery making. The programme was organized from 06.02.2006 to 21.02.2006.

Springboard Women Development Programme
Springboard is a training and development programme for women devised by the Springboard Consultancy, U.K. Sponsored by British Council Division, British High Commission, New Delhi, Springboard consultancy is run by Liz Willis and Jenny Daisley. The Centre for Women's Studies, Avinashilingam University for Women organized the programme for 100 women academicians (in the grades of Lecturers, Readers, Professors and HODs) from the following educational institutions across Coimbatore.

• Avinashilingam Deemed University and Avinashilingam

• High Secondary School

• Bharathiar University

• PSGR Krishnammal College for Women

• PSG College of Arts and Science

• VLB Janakiammal College of Arts and Science

• Kumaraguru College of Technology

• Shri Nehru Maha Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science.

The participants were trained by the licensed trainers (Mrs. Pooja N. Sharma, Research Associate, CWS, Avinashilingam University for Women, Prof. Usha Pathania, Director, CWS, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla and Mrs. Arpana Ruth, Principal, Shadman English Medium School, New Delhi) over a period of four months from November 2005 to February 2006.

Springboard emphasizes on:

• Confidence building

• Conflict resolution

• Self – awareness

• Problem solving

• Self – expression

• Motivation

• Balancing home and work

• Managing your image

• Assertiveness

• Setting goals

The participants expressed that the Springboard Women Development Programme was a very unique experience, which has certainly helped them in reviving their outlook towards balancing their careers and home front.

Training Programme to Inculcate Gandhian Thoughts
An exclusive training programme for inculcating Gandhian Thoughts among the community women was organized from 03.03.2006 to 23.03.2006. A total of 527 women participated in this programme wherein they were acquainted with the Gandhian thoughts through media such as songs, lectures by eminent personalities, exhibitions and quiz programmes. This programme was organized in collaboration with the Gandhian Study Centre of the University.

Training Methodologies
In collaboration with Training and Orientation Centre, Avinashilingam University for Women, a five days workshop on “Training Methodologies” was held from 23.03.2006 to 27.03.2006. Totally 25 participants from various parts of Tamil Nadu attended the workshop. Among the 25, five were from Universities/Colleges, 10, from Krishi Vigyan Kendras, six, from Non Governmental Organizations , three, from Training Institute and one from Jan Shikshan Sansthan. The five day programme emphasised the steps in training Determining training needs, setting objectives, selecting training methods, developing support materials, basic preparations for training, and creative training interventions.

Skill Oriented Training Programmes
In Collaboration with Tulsi Trust, the following skill training programmes were organized from 03.08.2006 to 25.08.2006.