The Kerala chapter of the Young Communicators Club (YCC) conducted a lecture discussion on Friday, 29th July in collaboration with the Department of English, St. Teresa’s College. The subject addressed was ‘Embracing Change and Challenging Norms: The Young Woman in Urban India’.
Eminent members of the YCC along with other guests took part in the seminar. The dignitaries included Smt. Chithra Krishnan, entrepreneur; Dr. Kalyani Vallath, director, YCC, Kerala chapter; Smt. Sandhya Balasuma, senior media professional; Mr. U.S. Kutty, chairman, Public Relations Council of India (PRCI), Kerala chapter; Mr. T.N.Vinaykumar, secretary, PRCI, Kerala chapter and Ms. Jayashruthi Varghese, chief coordinator, YCC, Kerala chapter.
The students got the opportunity to interact with Ms. Chithra Krishnan, a city-based entrepreneur. Ms. Chithra, with her enterprise ‘Food for Thought’ provides employment to 12 women and has also shown how something as close to the heart as cooking can generate income and teach one to be self-reliant. She further said that she finds each small step as empowerment. Nothing in particular motivates her, but instead finds motivation in each small thing or experience.
Both the students and teachers made use of the forum and discussed with the guest members on crucial issues like woman empowerment, the alarming increase in crime against woman and others. All the issues found active speakers on both sides who also recounted few personal experiences to succour their views.
The seminar also tried to make explicit the need to efface gender divide and also stated the dire need to conscientise boys to treat women with due respect and acceptance. Though there is a plethora of awareness programmes being held for girls, there is a dearth of initiative to conduct such programmes for boys. Right from their young age, they have to learn to view women bereft of prejudices and must also have the courage to stand up for them when needed. The gathering also condemned the myriad stereotypes associated with women and also the paucity of ample awareness on gender issues.
Students and teachers from other departments and colleges also took part in the seminar.
The YCC was initiated under the student and youth wing of the Public Relations Council of India.