Page 12 - ICWA NewsletterOctober- December 2020

INDIAN COUNCIL
OF WORLD AFFAIRS SAPRU HOUSE

New Delhi. The discussion focussed on the UNSC Rajeswari Rajagopalan, Distinguished Fellow &
Resolution 1325 which is a highly researched and Head of the Nuclear and Space Policy Initiative,
debated Resolution. There have also been a number Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi. The
of other attempts by the UN to address the gender panelists reiterated the importance of women’s
issue in IR. The session discussed how Gender contribution in various fields like practice
equality and Gender justice are different; and how of international relations, media, diplomacy
the Global South needs to assert itself in the global and research.
Women, Peace & Security (WPS) agenda. In her opening remarks at the Panel Discussion
The fifth session on ‘Gender, Culture and Soft on ‘Traditional Roles and Glass Ceilings’, Amb.
Power’ was chaired by Prof. Rekha Pande, Former Nirupama said that elements of feminism,
Head, Centre for Women’s Studies, Former Head, nationalism, and internationalism displayed by
Department of History, University of Hyderabad. The Vijaylakshmi Pandit, Sarojini Naidu and Kamala
speakers included Prof. Pushpesh Kumar, Professor, Devi Chattopadyaya show the contribution of
Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad; Indian women to important debates of their times.
Mr. Ajit Kulshreshtha, Additional Director General Hansa Mehta and Geeta Sehgal ensured that the
(Retd), Central Reserve Police; Former Inspector UN Declaration on Human Rights is more inclusive
General, Rapid Action Force (RAF); and Prof. Aparna by replacing “all men” with “all humans”. In a
Rayaprol, Professor, Department of Sociology, cooperative world order, women of India and across
University of Hyderabad. the globe have to play a proactive role for a better
The final session was ‘Panel Discussion on world. Diplomacy must be gender neutral. It is the
Traditional Roles and Glass Ceilings’. It was chaired art of negotiating peace over war, taking the middle
by Amb. Nirupama Menon Rao, Former Foreign way and includes the deftness of communication.
Secretary of India. The panelists included Dr. Diplomacy has to embrace diversity. Foreign policy
Gyanesh Kudaisya, Associate Professor, South and Diplomacy is meant to be inclusive. ‘We the
Asian Studies Programme, National University of people’ should include ‘she the people’. The full
Singapore; Ms Nirupama Subramanian, Editor, text of her remarks is at https://bit.ly/39YdUgh.
Indian Express; Ms Ruhee Neog, Director, Institute The ICWA hopes to publish the full proceedings of
of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi; and Dr. this conference.

ISSUE : 23 | OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2020 12