Page 11 - ICWA NewsletterOctober- December 2020

INDIAN COUNCIL
OF WORLD AFFAIRS SAPRU HOUSE

She outlined a 6-gunas of excellence – Shakti, Bala, more institution centric rather than people centric;
Veeryam, Aishwarya, Sarvagyaana, Tejas – approach and the challenges faced by the women human
to advancing gender equality agenda in the Indian rights discourse in India also the various challenges
foreign Policy and in the conduct of IR in and with in implementation of the human rights standards at
the UN. An expanded version of her remarks has ground level.
been published by ICWA and can be accessed The third session on ‘Gender, Development and
at https://bit.ly/3o4Eh97. International Relations’ was chaired by Ms.
The first session of the Webinar was titled “Gender Subhalakshmi Nandi, Senior Program Officer,
Debates, IR and Diplomacy” and was chaired by Gender Equality, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Amb. Lakshmi Puri. The session included three Speakers included Dr. Devyani Khobragade,
speakers - Dr. Nabila Sadiq, Assistant Professor, Ambassador of India to Cambodia; Dr. Sona Mitra,
Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women’s Studies, Jamia Principal Economist, Initiative for What Works
Millia Islamia, New Delhi; Dr. Seema Narain, to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, (IWWAGE); Prof. Sabiha Hussain, Director, Sarojini
Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi; and Dr. Naidu Centre for Women’s Studies, Jamia Milia
Soumita Basu, Assistant Professor, Department of Islamia. andProf. Vibhuti N. Patel, Professor (Retd),
IR, South Asian University. The session discussed Advanced Centre for Women's Studies, School of
various feminist theories and their impact on the Development Studies, TISS, Mumbai Campus. The
understanding of theories of international relations. session highlighted various aspects of gender and
It highlighted that feminists have been instrumental development which has a particular history of
in bringing gender into International Relations. A International Relations in the Beijing Declaration
proliferation of social, economic, developmental and of 1995, where it was accepted to viewgender as a
identity issues in the post-cold war lead feminist mainstream issue, may that be in aid, trade or in
scholarship to raise the question, “where are the international security.
women?” The fourth session on ‘Gender, Security and
The second session on ‘Gender and International International Relations’ was chaired by Ms Aruna
Human Rights Discourses’ was chaired by Dr. Bahuguna, Former Director, Sardar Vallabhbhai
Saumya Uma, Associate Professor, Jindal Global Patel National Police Academy. The speakers
Law School, Sonepat. The speakers in the session included Dr. Swati Parashar, Director, Gothenburg
included Prof. Asha Hans, Former Professor, Political Centre for Globalisation and Development, Associate
Science and Women's Studies, Utkal University, Professor, Peace and Development, School of
Bhubaneshwar; and Dr. Oishik Sircar, Associate Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden;
Professor, Jindal Global Law School, Sonepat Dr. Swarna Rajagopalan, Founder and Managing
Associate Member, Institute for International Trustee, The Prajnya Trust, Chennai; Dr. Shweta
Law and the Humanities, Melbourne Law School, Singh, Senior Assistant Professor, Department of
Australia. The session discussed facets of gender IR, South Asian University; and Dr. Shalini Chawla,
and human rights discourse in India; why it is much Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Air Power Studies,

ISSUE : 23 | OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2020 11