Allahabad High Court conducts first gender awareness and sensitization workshop

The Allahabad High Court recently conducted its first gender awareness and sensitization workshop in compliance with the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. .The workshop was conducted by the High Court's Internal Committee on April 9 and was inaugurated by Chairperson of the panel, Justice Sunita Agarwal. In her address, Justice Agarwal spoke on the need for awareness of gender roles for better inter-personal relations between men and women, and a positive working environment. While referring to the importance of the workshop, the judge emphasised on the need to have similar workshops in the future..Justice Om Prakash took his place on the dais along with the other committee members. Justice Sangeeta Chandra joined through virtual mode..Professor Sumita Parmar, former director of the Centre for Women’s Studies at Allahabad University, and member of the Committee, introduced the workshop. She underscored that the primary purpose of the workshop was to clarify the concept of gender in order to help increase gender awareness and sensitivity. .Professor Roop Rekha Verma, former Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University, gave the opening lecture on the subject, Understanding Gender. She explained the difference between sex and gender to show how the latter was a social construct. She stressed on the need to analyse the social structures that caused men to behave in certain ways, and break existing stereotypes..The valedictory address was given by Justice DK Upadhyaya, who impressed on the deeply embedded cultural and gender hierarchies that each person carried, and how these set ideas interfered with progressive thinking. The judge emphasised on the importance of replacing old and negative ideas with new, better ones and stressed on increased awareness and sensitivity..The workshop was marked with interactions, discussions and the screening of relevant video clippings.The session was attended by judges of the Allahabad High Court, as well as senior judicial officers and officers from the High Court Registry.