Dr Nirupama at Tehran Iran International Workshop Dec 2008
Women are the key for a nation’s ability to innovate and their socio-economic status is one of the strategic indicators of a country’s development. However, an analysis of the UN’s Gender-related Development Index (GDI) shows major differences between men and women in the areas of education, health and quality of life and there are glaring gaps between the targets set by countries for women’s empowerment and the true social, educational and economic status of women. One of the eight UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targeted to be achieved by 2015 is to promote gender equality and empower women.
The women enrollment for higher education at Birla Institute of Technology and Science - BITS Pilani which is one among the top ranking universities in India today has always been showing a very healthy and enviable trend. Its no wonder that Centre for Women Studies (CWS) sponsored by University Grants Commission (UGC) New Delhi was established in March 2005 at BITS. The activities of the centre include offering Extension Services, carrying out Confidence Building Measures, Capacity Building Workshops, Training Sessions, Round Table Discussions apart from Research, Lecture Sessions and Building Linkages with other Institutions. Prof Nirupama Prakash (Email rupa@bits-pilani.ac.in)
To deliberate on the urgent need for capacity building for women in order to economically empower them, the Centre for Science & Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre) organized a 3-days International Workshop on Economic Empowerment of Women through Science & Technology Interventions from 14-16 December 2008 at Tehran, Iran jointly with Iranian Research Organization for Science & Technology (IROST), Ministry of Science, Research & Technology, Tehran and Iranian Association of Women’s Studies (IAWS), Tehran.
Prof. Nirupama Prakash was nominated by Centre for Science & Technology of Non-Aligned and other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre), New Delhi to participate in this International Workshop. She Chaired a session and made a presentation on "ICT as a Tool for Empowering Women-A Case Study of Rural Rajasthan"
About BITS Pilani: The Institute which has the reputation of pioneering the online examinations for admissions through the path breaking BITSAT and setting a bench mark in industry university collaborations is one among the top ranking universities towering above the rest in various best college surveys in India today. BITS offers degrees in various disciplines presently at Pilani, Dubai, Goa and Hyderabad campuses apart from an array of work integrated learning programmes for HRD of a vast spectrum of Indian corporates. The alumni of the Institute who are Proud to be BITSians peaking with Passion Quotient for Alma mater and spread across the globe from Australia to America are the true ambassadors of Brand BITS Pilani.
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