Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS)

Presented by,

Vishnumaya, R. S.

MLISc-S4

DLIS, University of Kerala

• CWDS was established on 19th April 1980, in the middle of the International Women’s Decade.

• Preparation of the first ever comprehensive government report on the ‘Status of Women in India’ entitled Towards Equality.

• Later associated with the Women’s Studies Programme of the ICSSR.

Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS) : An Overview

• The CWDS was registered under the Societies’ Registration Act, 1860 in New Delhi (under the leadership of late Prof. J.P. Naik).

• Started functioning since May 1980, with a small financial grant from the Vikram Sarabhai Foundation.

Objectives

• Undertakes, promotes and coordinates both fundamental and applied research on women and development;

• Organizes and assists training programmes for scholars, planners, administrators, members of women’s organizations/ cooperatives etc.;

Objectives…

• Promotes and collaborates with academic institutions, grass root level organizations and individuals engaged in allied activities;

• Provides advisory and consultancy services on allied issues to institutions and organizations;

Objectives…

• Develops and promotes educational training and action programmes for women, especially under-privileged women;

• Undertakes activities that are consistent with the objectives of CWDS and helps to bring about attitudinal and other changes for effective participation of women from all levels of society.

CWDS Library

• A specialized research resource centre for a comprehensive collection of published and unpublished material relating to Indian women.

• The Library through its collection aims to provide an overall perspective regarding the situational analysis, current issues, development policies, etc.

Collection Development

• The library purchases published material on a regular basis by going through a variety of book selection tools.

• Its collection of institutional reports/ papers

is developed primarily through networking at the local, regional, national, and international levels.

Collection Development…

• The thrust subject areas over the last few years have been :

Feminist theory/ feminism Girl child Child rights Child labour Rural women

Collection Development…

New economic policy

Structural adjustment

Financial institutions and credit

Panchayati raj

Collection Development…

Environment Health

Violence against women

Collection Development…

Reproductive health

Women’s reservation

Empowerment

Domestic Violence

Education……..

Major Collections

• Reference Collection

• Books and Monographs

• Conference Papers

• Periodicals

• Audio Visuals

• e-Library

Library In-House Databases

1) Mahila Database (Catalogue)

2) Articles Index Database

3) Chitra: Audio-Visual Database

4) Periodicals Database

5) Institutional Database

Information Services

• Current Awareness Bulletin

• Current Contents of Journals (fortnightly)

• Database Search – OPAC

• Electronic Databases

• Reprographic Services

• CWDS Reading Lists Series

• Bibliographies

Publications

Publications

• Disability studies in India:Global Discourses, Local Realities(Routledge, 2012)

• Moving with the times: Gender, Status and Migration of Nurses in India (Routledge, 2012)

Publications…

• Towards equality:Report of the Committee on the Status of Women in India (Pearson, 2012)

• Women's studies in India : A reader (Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2008)

Publications…

• Education, Equality And DevelopmentPersistent Paradoxes in Indian Women's History (Pearson, 2012)

• Crimes Against Women: Bondage and Beyond (CWDS, 2002)

Publications…

• Indian Journal of Gender Studies(SAGE Publications, 1994 ).

Publications…

• J.P. Naik Memorial Lecture

References

• www.cwds.org, Retrieved on 6 July, 2013.

• www.cwds.ac.in/library/library.htm, Retrieved on 6 July, 2013.

“Any youngman who makes dowry a condition for marriage discredits his education and his country and dishonours womanhood…”

- Mahatma Gandhi