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   WGU Centenary Seminar Stars Galaxy of Legal Experts
  In celebration of the WGU Centenary, a seminar on Women’s Empowerment through Law was held on 27th February, 2016 in the Amy Rustomjee Hall to a packed audience of 200 attendees.

The seminar brought together a galaxy of legal experts, among India’s foremost women lawyers, to inform us of the changing scenario as well as the ongoing challenges in ensuring justice for women at home and in the work place. The seminar was addressed by Sujata Manohar, former Judge of the Supreme Court, Rajani Iyer, Senior Advocate of the Bombay High Court and Roshan Dalvi, former Judge of the Bombay High Court.

The gathering was welcomed by WGU President Nandita Singh who outlined the many activities undertaken by WGU towards women’s higher education and equal status in society, fulfilling the goals of the original founders.

Seminar Chairperson Swarn Kohli who was indisposed and unable to attend, in her recorded message proposed dedicating the seminar to all those who carried the baton of WGU’s proud history of service to women, significantly, to obtain representation in public bodies and lobbying for legislation to secure social justice for women.

Our first Guest Speaker Justice Sujata Manohar highlighted the importance of economic empowerment of women towards a more just society, the current handicaps and the legal protection against discrimination in several areas available to women. She also emphasised the need for educated women to play a key role in improving the implementation of laws. The next Guest Speaker, Senior Advocate Rajani Iyer while infusing her informative message with a large and welcome dose of humour, nevertheless provoked us to think, with a number of examples, about the complex forms of discrimination women continue to face in the workplace, the double-edged impact of affirmative action and the role of educated women in taking a stand to fight these challenges. Justice Roshan Dalvi further illuminated those present with different legal and social aspects of gender perspectives, gender equality and affirmative action, with numerous examples, such as, a trained female make-up artist’s case of being disallowed membership of the hitherto all male Make-up Artists Association, School Rugby camps for boys only, excluding girls who might well want to play the game and be good at it too, and many more.

The legal knowledge and rich repository of judicial decision-making processes and experiences, that our respected speakers shared was indeed a priceless gift; with the overall message to women that as we continue to become more empowered by existing laws of the land, it is imperative that we unite to bring about further changes for our protection and equal status.

Bringing the event to a close was a short but very thought-provoking skit performed by students from the Government Law College, depicting mindsets towards women that are in urgent need of change.