Department of Women's Studies

The Centre for Women’s Studies was started in the year 2004 with the financial support of the University Grants Commission in X plan period. It was upgraded into full-fledged Department of Women’s Studies in the year 2008 in XI plan period. During the XII plan period the Department of Women’s Studies has been upgraded to phase II in 2012, in the same plan period the department has upgraded to phase III from April 2016 onwards with enhanced financial assistance. The interdisciplinary nature of Women’s Studies is capable of cultivating a critical attitude towards disciplinary constraints, which allows research to move beyond discipline boundaries. It serves to build a bridge between arts, science and technology, between skill-building and general education and between individual capacity enhancement and social awareness. 

The department is involved in Teaching, Research, Training, Extension and Field action projects. It offers M.A Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field that explores how society shapes ideas of gender, identity, roles, and relationships. It examines how cultural, social, political, and economic factors influence the experiences of people of all genders. Moving beyond the traditional focus on biological differences, Gender Studies highlights how expectations and inequalities are constructed and maintained in everyday life.  The department also offers Ph.D Research Programme in Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field.  

• Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary in nature encourages the students and researches from multiple academic disciplines into one activity. 

• Extension activities and community-oriented programs/visits are upgrading the knowledge and skills from educational institutions to the public, bridging academia and real- life environment.

• Empanelled Institute by MWCD, New Delhi to conduct PoSH Act Awareness/ Training/ Workshop from February 2017 onwards

• Approved Empanelled Resource Person by MWCD, New Delhi to conduct PoSH Act Awareness/ Training/ Workshop from 2025 onwards

The Department of Women’s Studies carries out full-fledged research and extension activities in the community. The thrust areas included Redemption from Domestic Violence, Human Rights – In International Perspective, Matrimonial Property Rights, Drug Abuse awareness, Gender Budgeting training, Gender Sensitization, Gender Equality and Equity , Gender Audit, Gender Champion, Empowerment of Destitute/Marginalized Women, Cyber Crime, Drug Abuse Prevention , Women Welfare Laws in India, Women and Health, Women and Media, Women and Bio-diversity, Menstrual Hygiene, Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Breast Feeding, Women Entrepreneurship,  Significance of Feministic Research Methods, Women in Agriculture.

The Department of Women’s Studies, Bharathiar University is a Empanelled Institute to conduct Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, Redressal) Act 2013 awareness programme from 2017 to till date by Ministry of Women and Child Development. 

• The Department achieved III phase under UGC with the enhanced funding status

• Introduction of PG diploma in Women Entrepreneurship.

• The department has secured financial support from various funding agencies like MHRD, MWCD, NCW, NHRC, NRDMS, MSJE, NSDC, SRDPR, RUSA and UGC

• Introduced Certificate Course “Art of Blissful Living” in association with National BrotherHood Association at Nirmala College.

• Certificate course in Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics

• Certificate course in Big Data Analytics 

• Certificate course in Robotic Process  Automation 

• Signed LOC with Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis, USA for Faculty and Student exchange collaboration for research and further studies for the period of 2020-2025.

• Signed MOU with five NGOs towards knowledge sharing and field action projects 

• Empanelled institute for creating awareness on Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention,  Prohibition and Redressal ) Act 2013

• Conducted 40 awareness programmes on Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention,  Prohibition and Redressal ) Act 2013 for employees of transportation, harbour , college students and school students.

• Associated with ICDS to conduct programmes on nutrition for adolescent girls

• Conducted 12 programmes on gender budgeting  for government officials in various department of Tamilnadu

• Conducted  150 programmes on gender sensitization for affiliated colleges of Bharathiar University  and school students in local area

• Conducted Gender champion programmes to college and school students from 2018 onwards as per the Ministry of Human resources development guidelines

• Conducted five refresher course training programmes for college teachers in association with Human Resource Development Center. 

  Dr.K.Manimekalai Professor and Head, (2006-2007)

  Dr. Malarvizhi, lecturer (2006-2007)

  Dr.M.Jeyarathnam Professor and Director (2008-2013)

  Dr.Rupa Gunaseelan (2013-2014)