Conference on gender & leadership starts at FJWU

Rawalpindi
The opening ceremony of an international conference titled ‘Thinking Back and Moving Forward: Reflections on Gender and Leadership in Pakistan’ was held at the Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) here on Wednesday.
The conference is being arranged by the FJWU Gender Studies Department in collaboration with the University of Leicester, UK, Higher Education Commission and the ActionAid Pakistan. The keynote speaker of the opening ceremony was Professor Dr. Maithree Wikramasighe, professor at the Department of English and the Founding Director of the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
Professor Dr. Samina Amin Qadir, vice chancellor of the FJWU, welcomed the guests and speakers. She said that in Pakistan women are educated but still lack representation in the policymaking process. “Very few women are walking in the corridors of power; is the question which needs to be addressed and hopefully this conference will provide a platform to disseminate research findings.”
Dr. Rukhsana Hassan, incharge of the Gender Studies Department, said that the conference aims to bring together academics and key stakeholders to share their interest in gender, international partnerships and research as well as enable scholars to work alongside each other to present their contribution.
After that she talked on the subtheme of conference. She said that gender and women’s studies programme allows students and faculty to link examination of gender-related topics across all academic disciplines.
Dr Victoria Showunmi, currently serving as faculty head of Philanthropic Liaison/Development, Institute of Education, University of London, gave an overview of the three-year research project of British Academy — Research Capacity Building through International Partnership for Mapping Women Academics Careers in Pakistan.
Professor Dr. Maithree Wikramasighe talked about recognition of the power of women’s leadership and importance of comprehensive gender mainstreaming for sustainability of gender initiative, including promotion of women’s leadership. She also shared the case study about gender equality and leadership of Sri Lanka.