November 16, 2008 12:34:14 am

A seminar on ‘2009-the year for single women’ was organised by the department of Sociology, Government College for Girls, Sector 42, on Saturday.
Introducing the topic of the seminar, Dr Ranjay Vardhan recalled that it was on March 8 this year, on the release of his book titled Single Women: A Study of Spinsters by Pawan Bansal, Minister of State for Finance, that he had requested the Minister that 2009 be declared as the year of single women. “This seminar has been organised in continuation of that demand,” he stated.
Professor Sherry Sabbarwal, Dr Ranjay Vardhan and Charanjit Kaur delivered lectures at the seminar. Professor Sabbarwal, chairperson of the department of Sociology, Panjab University applauded the efforts of Dr Vardhan in raising the issue of single women.
She said that now women are also taking the responsibilities of the household in case of the death of her husband, divorce, desertion or separation. “There is a need for the declaration of 2009 as the ‘Year of Single Women’ to draw attention of the society towards the problems of women,” she said.
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Dr Ranjay Vardhan is a senior lecturer of Sociology in the college and has authored two books on single women. “It is high time society and governments start thinking about the problems being faced by single women. Single women are often seen struggling even for survival. With the changing socio-economic scenario, their number has increased tremendously,” he said.
Charanjit Kaur, Punjabi senior lecturer of the college cited references from literature to highlight the plight of single women in general and widows in particular. Principal of the college, Shashi Malik was the chief guest on the occasion and gave away prizes to the winners of various competitions organised in accordance with the theme of the seminar. Head of Sociology department, Rajwant Singh proposed the vote of thanks.
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