To empower girl students and to make them self-reliant

The Women’s Development Cell (WDC) was a statutory body for the prevention of and action against sexual harassment of women. The main objective of WDC was to look into the grievances of teaching staff, non-teaching staff and students, especially in cases of gender discrimination.
The formation of a college level Women Development Cell was made mandatory by the University of Mumbai after the Vishaka Judgment in the year 2001. In compliance with this mandate of the University, the Women Development Cell of Gogate Jogalekar College was established in the year 2005. From 2017, separate Internal Complaints Committee has been established for prevention of and action against sexual harassment of women at workplace. Now the main role of Women Development Cell is to promote general well-being of girl students and teaching and non teaching women staff of Gogate Jogalekar College.
As per 2011 census of Maharashtra, Kokan region, in particular Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg district shows healthy sex ratio with 1123 and 1037 females per thousand males respectively. This has been well reflected in girl-student strength of our college. Hence, role of our women development cell has become crucial. The cell is working with the following objectives.

To promote general well-being of female students and teaching and non teaching women staff of Gogate Jogalekar College.
To create awareness about health and hygiene among girl students.
To create social awareness about the problems of women in general and gender discrimination in particular by means of programs like lectures, workshops and seminars.
To develop skills among the girl students by means of workshops and training programmes for their overall personality development as well as for the encouragement of self-reliance among them.
To create legal awareness among women by informing about Women Welfare Laws.
To encourage participation of NGOs working in the area of women’s development in the activities of the Cell.

The College has two separate buildings, old and new, where lectures and practical are conducted. In either building a separate room has been given to girl students. These rooms are equipped with the necessary infrastructure like first aid box, vending machine, cupboards, chairs, books & CDs related to issues of Women, charts, collage works, etc. made by the girl students of the college and members of the cell. Suggestion box is kept in the ladies room to receive complaints and suggestions related to the needs of girl students. Separate notice board for WDC displays the articles written by girl students and special issues related with girl students. One separate room is kept reserved for counseling of girl students.

Women Development Cell of Gogate Jogalekar College participated in district level competition of Department of Higher and Technical Education, Maharashtra Govt. -2014 “Jagar Janiwancha” and won 1st Prize of Amount Rs 100000/- on 20th August, 2014. The amount is used for “women study centre” in library of college.

Prof. Seema Kadam presented research paper at national conference, ‘women entrepreneurship: one important footstep’ on 6th& 7th October, 2014.
Prof Madhura Athawale and Prof Shilpa Gonabare participated in a state level conference on 20th December, 2014.
Prof Yasmin Aowte & Prof Nidhi Patwardhan participated in a national conference on 9th& 10th January 2015.
Dr. Aparna Kulkarni and Prof. Beena Kalambate attended one day workshop on Internal Complaints Committee on August 2017 organized by Maharashtra State Commission for Women
Received 50,000/- grant from Maharashtra State Commission for Women for organizing one day seminar ‘Women Empowerment’ on 3rd March 2018