SXUK : Women and Gender Development Cell (WGDC)
The Women and Gender Development Cell (WGDC) is a mandated body as per Section 3.2 (15) of the University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women employees and students in higher educational institutions) Regulations, 2015. St. Xavier's University, Kolkata (SXUK) with the mission of achieving a gender sensitive space within campus and in keeping with the University Grants Commission regulations constituted the WGDC in 2019. The WGDC in the university is a dedicated body to promote gender equality, address issues related to gender rights, and to create a safe and inclusive environment for all genders on campus. It focuses on engaging into dialogues to promote gender sensitivity, in organising workshops and seminars and creating a deeper understanding of the importance of gender equality, gender awareness by providing support services for students, faculty and staff members of the university.
Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, SJ, Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor with the officers of university and members of WGDC.
St. Xavier's University, Kolkata (SXUK) observed International Women's Day on its campus on March 6, 2026, reaffirming its commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive academic environment. The initiative aimed to promote leadership, dialogue, and meaningful participation of all members of society.
Blessed by Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, SJ, Vice-Chancellor of SXUK, the programme was organized by the Women and Gender Development Cell (WGDC) and the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC).
A workshop on Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) and Financial Empowerment of Women was conducted for students, faculty, and staff members.
Addressing the gathering, Father Dr. Xavier Jeyaraj, SJ, Registrar of SXUK elaborated on this year's theme, "Give to Gain." He emphasized the importance of sharing knowledge, resources, and support, especially with marginalized sections, and highlighted the role of empathy and care in strengthening human dignity and relationships.
The session on prevention of sexual harassment was led by Smt. Ananya Dutta Chowdhury, Senior Manager at Damodar Valley Project. She underscored that a safe and dignified workplace is a fundamental human right and discussed the legal, social, and cultural dimensions of gender-based violations. Participants actively engaged in discussions, sharing experiences and exploring solutions to address such issues.
Another session on financial empowerment was conducted by Mr. Samik Dasgupta, Chief Business Manager at National Insurance Corporation, who spoke on the importance of financial independence for women.
Dr. Antara Ghatak, Convener of the WGDC, highlighted the cell's ongoing initiatives, including workshops, awareness programmes, and physical training for female students. She stressed the university's commitment to ensuring that gender equality is practiced actively on campus. The event concluded with a renewed pledge to create a more inclusive and supportive academic space for all.
Dr. Antara Ghatak
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- To create awareness about the social problems faced in gendered society and to inculcate the values of inclusiveness and sensitivity towards all.
- To conduct seminars and workshops in collaboration with Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) on gender and women's issues that would lead to awareness and empowerment.
- To create awareness on legal rights through the lectures by distinguished experts.
- To provide support and create an enabling environment for sharing problems and difficulties faced by the virtue of gender.
- To work in tandem with the ICC which addresses all complaints of sexual harassment within the university.
- Innovative/creative methods of imparting gender awareness.
- Regularly organized seminars and workshops by eminent industry experts, gender activists and academicians.
- Creating a safe environment on campus for girls.
- Encouraging young boys and girls to participate in discussions.
- Collaborations with other departments, societies and social outreach units in the university.
| S. No | Name | Designation | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Dr. Antara Ghatak |
Assistant Professor, Department of English, SXUK |
Convenor |
2 |
Dr. Ranjeeta Mukherjee |
Associate Professor, Xavier Law School, SXUK |
Member |
3 |
Dr. Tanusree Biswas |
Assistant Professor, Xavier Business School, SXUK |
Member |
4 |
Dr. Mitra Goswami |
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Commerce and Management, SXUK |
Member |
5 |
Dr. Tanmoy Kumar Pal |
Assistant Registrar, SXUK |
Member |
6 |
Mr. Ashish Shaw |
Legal and Compliance Officer, SXUK |
Member |
| Sl. No | Date | Name of the programme | Dignitaries Presented | No. of Participant | Mode | Duration | Level | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23/09/2019 | Seminar & Panel Discussion on Bridging the Gap: Gender Issues in Contemporary India | Offline | 1 day | ||||
| 2 | 05/03/2020 | Discussion on "Re-evaluating Girl Power: Representation in Media and Popular Culture" | Dr. Debnita Chakravarti, Associate Professor, Department of English, Shri Shikshayatan College, Kolkata Sudeshna Roy, Director, Actor, Writer Shaheb Chattopadhyay, Actor Singer, Professor Niladri Chatterjee, Head of English, Kalyani University, Usha Menon Bose, Senior manager, Ruia Company |
Faculty and Students | Offline | 1 days | ||
| 3 | 25/11/2020 | Webinar on "Gender, Law and Society" | Dr. Trina Nileena Banerjee, Assistant Professor, Centre for Social Sciences, Kolkata Niladri Chatterjee, Head of English, Kalyani University, |
Faculty and Students | Online | 1 day | ||
| 4 | 09/03/2021 | Special Talk on "International Women's Day" titled, "What does it mean to be a Feminist" | Prof. Sanjukta Dasgupta, Dean, Faulty of Arts, Calcutta University. | Faculty and Students | Online | 1 day | ||
| 5 | 14/12/2021 | Workshop on Gender Sensitisation | Dr. Tania Chakravertty, Dean of Students, Diamond Harbour Women's University Prof. Bula Bhadra Former Prof and Head, Department of Sociology, Calcutta University. | Faculty | Offline | 1 day | ||
| 6 | 25/03/2022 | Organises a talk 'Speak out for Gender Equality | Professor Shabina Nishat Omar, Prof and Head. Department of English, AJC Bose College, Kolkata | Faculty and Students | Offline | 1 day | ||
| 7 | 28/03/2023 | The Basement Project to Celebrate International Women's Day held an Awareness Programme on Menstrual Hygiene. | The students of Narayanpur Vivekananda Vidyalaya | Offline | 1 day | |||
| 8 | 13/08/2023-5/09/2023 | Women and Gender Development Cell and the Sports Society conducts Project Sukanya, an unarmed combat training course in collaboration with Kolkata Police. | Inspector Prasanto Heto, Commando of Kolkata Police conducted the special session of Unarmed Combat Training. | The girl students at St. Xavier's University, Kolkata. | Offline | |||
| 9 | 09/03/2024 | SXUK celebrates International Women's Day | Offline | 1 day |