The Women Development Cell (WDC) aims to promote awareness of gender equality and gender sensitization in society and among students in particular. Towards this end, the students are encouraged to undertake various research projects and participate in debates and awareness campaigns. In keeping with the goal of women empowerment, the cell conducts self-defense programs for girl students and operates a Grievance Cell for urgent and effective handling of any gender-related issues
The WDC seeks to encourage girl students to work towards their personal and social development. The Cell aims in particular at sensitizing the student community to issues relating to the female gender. The role of the Cell is to equip the students with the requisite awareness and self-confidence, which in turn would allow them to take their rightful place in society.
ACTIVITIES 2023-2024
ACTIVITIES 2022-2023
ACTIVITIES 2021-2022
ACTIVITIES 2020-2021
ACTIVITIES 2019-2020
ACTIVITIES 2023-2024
MENSTRUAL HYGIENE AND PUBERTY SEMINAR
July 19, 2023 Attendees: Students of Grade 5th- 8th Volunteers: 12
The Women's development cell of H.R. College of Commerce and Economics conducted a Menstrual Hygiene and Puberty Seminar with more than 100 students at NMMC School in Airoli. The seminar was conducted to educate children about the various changes their bodies go through in the growing stages of their lives and increase awareness about menstrual health and hygiene among students. The school's principal introduced the students of grades 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th to the team. The session was conducted in a fun and interactive way which included a skit and question-and-answer round for the children. At the end of the session, the students and the team shouted in unison the slogan of the session- “periods are normal”.
SHE INSPIRES
August 30, 2023 Attendees: 18
In the month of August, The Women Development Cell of H.R. College of Commerce & Economics has successfully conducted a captivating interview series titled 'SHE INSPIRES.' This series has provided a platform to engage in insightful conversations with a diverse group of remarkable women from various backgrounds and walks of life.
These interviews encompassed sportswomen, women in corporate roles, yoga instructors, women entrepreneurs, and even house help, allowing them to share their extraordinary life journeys. These women have not only managed to break through barriers and challenge stereotypes, but they have also imparted invaluable life lessons during these conversations. Their stories serve as a powerful testament to the strength and resoluteness of the women. All episodes of this inspirational series are available on the official Instagram page of the Women Development Cell.
FLASHMOB
September 24, 2023 Attendees: 15
The Women Development Cell of H.R. College of Commerce & Economics stole the spotlight at Oval Maidan and Marine Drive, Sunday Streets, beneath the Mumbai Sky with an electrifying performance on the most amazing Bollywood playlist. The city of dreams witnessed an impromptu flash mob, a burst of joy and rhythm that echoed through the streets of Mumbai.
Oval Maidan and Marine Drive, places typically for sports and recreation, were transformed into lively arenas of joy and celebration of life. The event unfolded spontaneously, capturing the essence of Mumbai’s dynamism. In a city like Mumbai where people from all over the country come to fulfil their dreams, the flash mob was a reminder that it is okay to take a step back and enjoy life as it is and make the most of each moment.
WOMEN DEVELOPMENT CELL Photo Gallery
ACTIVITIES 2022-2023
AWAAज़- Street Play
September 25, 2022 Attendees: 30 Volunteers: 18
Women Development Cell of H.R. College of Commerce & Economics organized a street play AWAAज़ to spread awareness about the repercussions of misuse of rights. The gist of the play was that words such as ‘victim’ aren’t always associated with women, and words like abuser aren’t always with men. There is a need to look beyond gender connotations and concern ourselves with the truth.
The play was performed by club members during the ‘Sunday Streets’ Mumbai event at Marine Drive. The play was orchestrated in partnership with The Caishi Magazine as our Digital Media Partner, F3 News as our Digital Broadcasting Partner, and Today’s Newspaper as our Media Coverage Partner. The event succeeded in its goal, as it held the audience's attention and created quite a buzz.
MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
October 19, 2022 Attendees: 38
The Women Development Cell of H.R. College of Commerce & Economics organized an insightful webinar about the ‘Myths and Misconceptions about reproductive health’. The interactive session was led by guest speaker Dr. Yuvraj Jadeja, an MD Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Nimaya Women’s Centre.
The hour-long session covered various topics and discussions about sexual health, PCOS and PCOD, menopause, conception, abortions, precautions and contraceptives, and the myths surrounding them. The webinar was concluded with a very informative Q&A.
GENDER SENSITIZATION AND ALLYSHIP WORKSHOP
December 20, 2022 Attendees: 40
Women’s Development Cell organized a ‘Gender Sensitization and Allyship’ Workshop in collaboration with One Future Collective, a feminist social purpose organization. The synergistic session was led by Ms. Shreya Joshi and Ms. Abhinaya Sridhar. Shreya was the Programme Manager of the Feminist Justice
Project at One Future Collective. Abhinaya works as a Programme Officer in the Knowledge vertical at One Future Collective.
The hour and half-long session touched upon various gender stereotypes, gender norms, gender roles, the different sections of the LGBTQIA+ community and ally ship. This workshop is crafted from an intersectional lens to build knowledge and awareness regarding gender, sex and sexuality. It also aims to explore intersectionality and its manifestation for the LGBTQIA+ community. The speakers engaged in discussions about gender and sexuality through examples and answered all queries. The webinar ended with a formal vote of thanks.
ROOTSKILLS WALK WTH PLANTS FOR YOUTH
March 4, 2023 Attendees: 45
The Women Development Cell organized the Rootskills Walk in collaboration with Hastaksharr and Rootshakarr. The event was inaugurated by Dina Chetan Shah from Aashapura Foundation, Principal Dr. Pooja Ramchandani and guest of honor a presidential award winner for bravery Mr. Mangesh Naik.
The Hastaksharr divas were dressed in handloom sarees to promote sustainable clothing and then walked with plants. Everyone was provided a plant and a postcard to share secrets with their plants. Women entrepreneurs gave presentations about their products. Members of Enactus HRC gave a presentation about sustainable clothing and menstrual hygiene. In the afternoon all the attendees danced together, enjoyed snack boxes, and finally, a prize distribution ceremony was conducted.
HOLI x WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION
March 6, 2023 Attendees: 50
The Women Development Cell of H.R. College of Commerce & Economics organized an amusing and interactive event for the teaching and non-teaching staff as well as the presidents and vice presidents of the various clubs of the college on the occasion of Holi and International Women’s Day.
The event commenced with an inspiring speech and a recitation. The core members presented a theme-oriented dance performance. An entertaining games session livened up the event. Lastly, the event was concluded by munching on delicious street food at the live food stalls. The teaching and non-teaching staff were given a decorative pouch and lipstick as token of appreciation.
INTERCOLLEGIATE ORGANISED
LOST: LEGEND OF THE SECRET TREASURE
August 4, 2022 Participants: 100+
The Women Development Cell (WDC) hosted their first event LOST: Legend of the Secret Treasure, a hunt spread across Churchgate. This event was witnessed more than 100+ participants from a wide range of colleges.
Proceeds of the event were to be shared with select NGO’s working on charities. Winners received exciting prizes and the event ended with a formal vote of thanks.
WOMEN DEVELOPMENT CELL Photo Gallery
ACTIVITIES 2021-2022
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS PROGRAM
October 10, 2021
The Women's Development Cell in collaboration with Canfem organized a Breast Cancer Awareness Program. It was an e-talk given by Dr. Nisha Hariharan, she spoke about what breast cancer is, its early diagnosis, its symptoms, and its cure. She also put light on questions asked by the enthusiastic audience and systematically explained their queries.
THE CHARITY CARNIVAL
November 12- 13,
2021 Participants: 50+
The Charity Carnival was one of its kind, bringing the fun of a carnival online was done for the first time! The event was in the form of an auction where all participants were given the option to bid on the product, and the highest bidder could buy the product. The Women's Development cell encouraged small businesses from throughout the country to showcase their products on our platform.
The money collected from the bid winners was used to donate to Udaan India Foundation - an NGO working with children and youth of low-income communities in the field of education. With more than 50 participants and bidders, we were able to raise Rs. 6721. Apart from the variety of products for participants to buy, we also had a variety of games for the participants to enjoy!
CONVERSATION OVER COFFEE
February 5, 2022
To relive your college days, to know stories from your seniors about their times in college, and to learn from your seniors is always fun! Women's Development Cell invited the past presidents, vice presidents, and members to know and learn more about the journey of the club and the importance of these clubs in the years to come.
Among the alumni were Mr. Yash Punwani (Batch 2013-16), Mr. Harkaran Bagga (Batch 2013-16), Ms. Simran Kaushik (Batch 2012-15), and Mr. Sukrit Goel (Batch 2015-18) and Ms. Lakshita Talwar (Batch 2017-20). With each of them being from different backgrounds and different batches we got to know a lot about how to manage various things and responsibilities.
All the participants felt free to ask our guests questions and got to know more about college, we also organized a series of fun games.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY & HOLI CELEBRATION
March 17, 2022
To celebrate the vibrancy of Holi and the spirit of empowerment, The Women's Development Cell with GirlUp HRC jointly organized an event. With the entire support of our Principal and teachers, we were able to conduct the event with ease.
This marked the first offline event conducted in this academic year. All teachers, non-teaching staff, and presidents were invited to the celebration. With various performances like dance, poetry, and singing the event was filled with joy.
WOMEN DEVELOPMENT CELL Photo Gallery
ACTIVITIES 2020-2021
FE (MEN) ISM: HOW PRO-WOMAN DOES NOT MEAN ANTI-MAN
May 30, 2020The webinar was conducted on Instagram Live with feminist icon and highly acclaimed Instagram celebrity Moose Jattana who enlightened the audience with a treasure trove of insights on gender issues. She explained the true essence of feminism and equality by busting all the myths surrounding them.
She highlighted the importance of speaking up and fighting against inherent patriarchy, countering toxic masculinity, misogyny, chauvinism and ending the sexual objectification of men and women. She also delved into victim shaming, name-calling and gender-based-slurs. She judiciously opined that the fight for equality and justice is incomplete without men and advocated support for femininity. It was inspiring, engaging and eye opening session for all participants.
ROLE OF CITIZENS IN COMBATING RAPE
June 14, 2020The webinar was conducted in collaboration with GirlUp India and Ogilvy India. The panel of speakers consisted of distinguished experts like Ms. Nishtha Satyam,who is the Deputy Country Representative for UN Women; Mr.Tim Schellberg, who is the Founder and President of GTH-GA and Dr. Vivek Sahajpal, who is a renowned forensics expert. They highlighted the abysmal conviction rate for crimes against women in India and the lack of awareness about DNA reports to nab the perpetrators.
They unanimously agreed that remnants of DNA from the victim’s body and belongings are the most effective way to secure the convictions of criminals. They stressed the need to train and equip the police force to efficiently collect such evidence, since it can only be collected within 120 hours of the crime. They opined that the collection of forensic evidence is the most effective deterrent and can guarantee speedy justice for victims. They advocated the creation of a national DNA database that could considerably reduce the rate of crimes against women in India.
FRAME OF MIND
September 12-17, 20201. PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDANCE SESSION
September 12, 2020
A guidance session as a precursor to the ‘Frame of Mind’ Photography Competition where photography aficionado, Mr. Janmajay Tiwari, conducted the session. Mr. Tiwari is a strong believer in women empowerment and portrays it through his work. The session was very interesting and inspiring.
2. PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEW SESSIONSeptember 17, 2020
The esteemed judge, Mr. Janmajay Tiwari reviewed each entry submitted by all the talented participants and shared his valuable feedback. He appreciated all the aspects he liked in their work and pointed out the areas they needed to work on. He shared precious tips and tricks that could help them improve and master the art of photography.
NAZARIYA - THE PANEL DISCUSSION
November 14, 2020The Women’s Development Cell hosted ‘Nazariya’: a panel discussion, to spread awareness about the prevailing rape culture in India and to come up with solutions and steps that we as individuals, and collectively as a society can take to protect our women and men from sexual atrocities and oppression. Our first panelist was Ms. Shraddha Agarwal, a reporter and content editor at the Pari NGO. Our second panelist was R Balaji, a renowned TEDx speaker and LGBTQ rights activist. The third panelist for this event was Ms. Divyangana Trivedi, an author, law student and founder of the Will and Way organization.
ICEBREAKER
After an introduction to WDC there were fun activities to help the members get acquainted. The students showcased their talent, especially in singing. The enthusiasm of the members to work towards women empowerment, for the betterment of women and the society was heartening.
PROJECT INCREDIBLES
December 6-9, 2020WDC conducted Project INCREDIBLES: a food donation and sustainability drive. The project aimed at providing food to needy people in local areas. The members of the club donated home-cooked, healthy & nutritious meals to less fortunate people like beggars, homeless children, slum dwellers, laborers as well as stray animals in their neighborhoods. In addition to this, the members also came up with a Social Media Campaign, which inspired others to conserve food and donate to the less fortunate.
WOMEN’S DAY
March 8, 2021Women’s Day Celebration to commemorate International Women’s Day, started with Dr. Priyamvada Sawant reciting a poignant poem. This was followed by an interactive session where students asked interesting questions and teachers and parents gave their enriching inputs. The discussion highlighted topics like gender roles, sexism, social taboos and stereotypes. The guest speaker Dr. Farhin Katge, Professor and Head of Pediatric Dentistry at Terna Dental College, delivered a motivating message to the audience about how important it is for women to be independent and chase their dreams.
An enriching Quiz Session was conducted testing general knowledge, iconic women and their achievements, as well as women-centric Bollywood films. The celebration concluded with an awe-inspiring address by our second guest speaker, Dr. Neha Shah, consulting psychiatrist who motivated women to stand up for themselves and claim their rights & freedom.
WOMEN DEVELOPMENT CELL Photo Gallery
ACTIVITIES 2019-2020
STEM CELL DONOR REGISTRATION DRIVE
July 31, 2019
The Stem Cell Donor registration drive at the college was a joint effort with Dr. Praveen Clement (MDRI). Any healthy individual between the age of 18 yrs to 50 yrs can register as Blood Stem Cell donors and potentially become a lifesaver when they’re found to be a match for a fatal blood disorder patient. There were 201 enrolments for the same.
A TALK ON LGBTQ
August 5, 2019A talk on LGBTQ was a seminar with Ms. Vandita Morarka (Founder and CEO of One Future Collective). The purpose of this seminar was to break the stereotypes associated with the LGBTQ community and sensitize the understudies about their struggles.
START-UP AND SCALE-UP
August 22, 2019Ms. Parul Khanna an Entrepreneur and Venture Capitalist addressed the students about their pursuit of establishing their own start-ups as well as planting the seed of the start-up idea in their minds. A total of 110 understudies attended the seminar and availed of the enlightening tips.
SELF DEFENSE CERTIFIED COURSE
January 10, 2020The WDC conducted its Self Defense Certified Course that commenced in collaboration with Mr. Pravin Pralhad Chavan, Karate and Kickboxing Trainer, President of Sports Martial Arts Yuva Academy; and Ms. Kanchan Pandurang Sakunde who is an expert in Karate. Kickboxing, Boxing and Taekwondo.
The certificate course was of 30 hour duration, teaching the students the virtues and skills needed in the real world such as self-awareness, vigilance, what measures one must take in potentially dangerous situations and how to take down attackers in unforeseen circumstances which is extremely essential in today’s scenario where gender based violence is on the rise.
CAREER SEMINARS
The Women Development Cell of H.R. College organised Career Seminars on December 19, 2019 at VBM Model High School, Grant Road and on 23rd January 23, 2020 at Master Sitaldas Punwani High School, Grant Road with Growth Centre (I) Pvt Ltd. More than 200 students participated in the seminars.
The seminar was to enable the students to deal with exam stress, handle exams without fear and teach the importance of time & managing the time effectively. The objective was also to let the students know about the various career options available to them after studies and answer their queries regarding the same.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: HOW AND WHY?
March 5, 2020On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, the Women Development Cell, NSS and Internal Complaints Committee organised a talk on the importance of women empowerment which was delivered by Dr. Jyoti Dabholkar, Professor Emeritus, K.E.M hospital & Seth G.S. Medical College. She gave a few case studies from her field to drive her point and answered questions raised by the faculty and students.
WOMEN DEVELOPMENT CELL Photo Gallery
