KOZHIKODE: The international conference on “The Role of Women in Making a Humane Society”, which ran into trouble after the University of Calicut denied permission to hold it on the university campus, was held in the city on Saturday. Inaugurating the conference organised by the Institute of Objective Studies in association with the National Women’s Front, former Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari said Islam respects the individuality of women in society. He said a study conducted by the UN Women, a wing of the United Nations which works for gender equality and women empowerment, has revealed the plight of women across the world.
He said the unethical human and social practices marginalising women should change. Women should be made an equal partner in creating a humane society. “The conscious or subconscious perception of many sections of the society is a girl child is a burden or even a misfortune. This should change,” he said. The inaugural session of the two-day conference was attended by Institute of Objective Studies chairman M Manzoor Alam.
On Friday the University of Calicut had decided to withdraw from the conference which was jointly organised by the New Delhi-based Institute of Objective Studies, Islamic Chair of the University of Calicut and National Women’s Front. Delegates and scholars from South Africa, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia attended the conference. A B Moideen Kutty, Head of Department of Arabic, said the University had decided to stay away from the programme considering the involvement of certain organisations in the conduct of the conference.