NewsID: 72 Author Mohd Azhar, PRO Dated 08 February 2014
Subject J&K ERA organizes workshop on “Gender Sensitization”
J&K ERA organizes workshop on “Gender Sensitization” Gender mainstreaming key to achieve Equitable Development: Experts
Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (J&KERA) today on 8th, Feb,2014 organized a workshop on “Gender Sensitization” at SKICC , Srinagar.
A day long workshop was organized with an objective to sensitize J&K ERA staff and participants from various govt departments about importance of gender mainstreaming in developmental projects since gender planning is key to achieving gender equality.
Chief Executive Officer, J&K ERA Thaseen Mustafa in his inaugural address underscored the need for gender-responsive urban planning as it would lead to gender equality and women’s empowerment. He stressed on the need for greater participation of women in planning process for attaining gender equity.
Vinod Sharma, Director Safeguards , J&K ERA in his welcome address said that “ gender action plans nowadays are an integral part of any infrastructure development projects funded by multilateral agencies and are key to achieving women’s participation in planning process” He emphasized the need for organizing more such workshops so that we are able to keep ourselves updated about gender sensitive approaches in infrastructure projects.
Alok Mengi, Director Central, J&K ERA, in his key note address stressed upon the need to have institutional capacity to plan, manage, implement, monitor, and evaluate gender inclusiveness in infrastructure projects. He said “to achieve gender equality it is imperative to integrate gender inclusive measures in operational work, institutional policies and strategies to ensure women can directly participate in and benefit from these projects”.
Mr Khilesh Chaturvedi , Gender specialist and one of the resource persons for the workshop made presentation on “ Understanding of Gender” in which various issues surrounding the concept of gender were highlighted like socio-cultural connotations of gender , commonly understood roles of gender in our societies, implications of changing gender roles in present times, scenario of women empowerment in India , its impact on poverty and education.
Dr. Aarti Nandi, ADB consultant in her presentation “Gender and Development in context of ADB” underscored the need for gender mainstreaming in developmental projects. She briefed participants about various steps of gender mainstreaming in developmental projects and shared her experiences of gender mainstreaming plan adopted during implementation of Kolkata Environmental Improvement Project (KEIP) which was funded by ADB . Sehar Iqbal, a development practioner also shared her “insights and experiences from the field “with the audience.
Short documentaries on the topic of “gender mainstreaming” prepared by some reputed international media organizations were also screened on the occasion.
Workshop was attended by more than 100 participants from various line departments like S.M.C, R&B, PHED, PDD, LAWDA and some other govt departments besides senior staff of J&K ERA, expert staff of J&KERA and field Staff of J&K ERA.
Economic Reconstruction Agency 