OP Jindal University

Sonipat (Haryana) [India], March 11: 'Inclusivity is at the heart of the functioning of the Indian Government today. Over the past 11 years, the scale and the speed at which we have worked towards ensuring the basic amenities is unmatched by any other nation be it access to easier credit or good maternal healthcare for women. This has brought a qualitative change in the life of people and women in India have been the biggest beneficiaries of this change. Change is essential for less privileged women of India and we have seen a rapid growth in the labour force as rural women do not have access to financial opportunities. At the same time, there has been a major surge of women participation in the start-up sector and entrepreneurship too. More than 73000 recognised start-ups today are led by women! As we empower women who live at the lower rungs of the society, we need to ensure their right share for women at the highest level of decision-making,' said Anupriya Patel, Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilisers at the valedictory address of the three-day Convention on the theme 'Towards an Inclusive Future and a Gender Just World' organised by O.P. Jindal Global University.

At the conclusion of the Conference JGU and the Delegates presented and adopted the Equal Futures Resolution - The Sonipat Declaration 2025 - as a framework for transformative change and a collective commitment gender justice. Professor (DR.) Upasana Mahanta Dean, Admissions & Outreach O.P. Jindal Global University presented the Sonipat Declaration 2025 and said, 'We pledge to take all steps towards the world where women and gender diverse individuals have equal access to opportunities for resources and leadership. This has five pillars of gender justice, doubling stacks of work, widening the ideas of valuable and impactful work by addressing the inequalities and challenges that exist in our society, creating opportunities for and addressing the systemic barriers that hinder women's participation and movement, accelerating the movement, for meaningful representation and striving to society, educate, empowering the community at large, education and amplify negotiating, ensuring participation in decision making processes and creating inclusive and equitable and negative enough resolution is rooted in certain principles of gender justice.

The Founding Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar presented an overview of the three-day convention and said, 'The National Convention on Women in India: Towards Equality, Emancipation and Empowerment was organized with the spirit of bringing together a multitude of voices, experiences, and insights to create a platform that can be a catalyst for driving meaningful change. Towards this end, politicians and democratic representatives, leading female experts, media personalities, lawyers and legal luminaries and many more congregated at JGU over panel discussions, fireside chats and keynote addresses. From Sports to Politics, Films to Culture, Workplace practices to health, access and leadership, women and climate action to gender equality and entrepreneurship, the attending delegates who represented female excellence discussed and debated the achievements so far and the challenges and gaps that remain to be addressed to make India a gender inclusive society. In view of the theme for IWD 2025, 'Accelerate Action', the National Convention explored the systemic and structural challenges that women face but also focused on seeking concrete and actionable solutions for mitigating them.'

A special session was held with renowned film- maker Ronnie Screwvala, Founder UTV, Producer and Co-Founder upGrad on the theme, 'Women in Cinema' who said,'With the influx of multinational companies and the integration of corporate culture, a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment has become the standard. In this context, a director's agreement would typically include provisions allowing immediate termination in cases of misconduct. Nowadays, nearly every legal document in the media industry includes a clause addressing sexual harassment, ensuring strict enforcement across the board. Before I sold my media business to Disney, we had 1,200 employees, with 600 of them being women. Movies like Lakshya and Uri have had a significant impact, inspiring many women to pursue careers in the Indian Air Force and Army. when women step into the industry, they are the ones telling bold, boundary-pushing stories and redefining the landscape. The real victory lies in their impact.'

Education has been seen as a game changer for women and to demonstrate the impact of education, a session titled Empowering through Education: Challenges, Best Practices and the Way Forward Pia Singh, Director, Board of DLF Limited and Chairperson, DLF CSR Committee said, 'Education is the foundation of progress. It is the most powerful tool we have to break barriers, uplift communities, and create a more just and equal world. When we educate a woman, we empower a family, a society, and ultimately, a nation. Yet, challenges remain--gender stereotypes, financial constraints, safety concerns, and the digital divide still hinder progress. Many families prioritize boys' education, and nearly one in four girls drops out before secondary school. As a society, we must take collective responsibility and take action. She was joined by Manvinder Kaur, Principal, Presidium School; Rekha Krishnan, Principal, Vasant Valley School; B. Mahender Reddy, Chief Executive Officer, Sancta Maria, International School. In another session on higher education and role of women, Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Pro-Chancellor, Chitkara University; Dr. Syeda Hameed, Former Member, Planning Commission of India; Prof. (Dr.) Ananya Mukherjee, Vice Chancellor, Shiv Nadar University; Prof. (Dr.) Bijayalaxmi Nanda, Principal, Miranda House; and Prof. Christiana Ochoa, Dean and Herman B Wells Endowed Professor, Maurer School of Law Indiana University will review the significance of education.

A wide-ranging discussion on women in politics and governance was held with Members of Parliament from Rajya Sabha Priyanka Chaturvedi, Dr. Fauzia Khan, Rekha Sharma with Dr. Sasmit Patra. A session on Gender Equality in Entrepreneurship included Benu Sehgal, Chief Operating Officer Splendor Lifestyle Products; Shruti Swaroop, Chief Executive Officer, International Inclusion Alliance; and Gauri Vatsa, Honorary Trade Commissioner, India Africa Trade Council.

At the commencement of the three-day Convention from 8-10 March, 2025, Yashasvini Jindal, Advisor, JSP Group Advisory Services Pvt. Ltd. and Member, Governing Council, O.P. Jindal Global University presented her views on the theme Forging the Future: Women, Leadership, and Legacy in a Changing World. The Inaugural Address was delivered by Shallu Jindal, Chairperson, Jindal Foundation at the Inaugural Session on the theme 'Equality, Emancipation and Empowerment' and the keynote address was delivered by Hon'ble Justice Ranjana P. Desai, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and Chairperson, Press Council of India.

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