07 December,2009 07:05 AM IST | | Madhuri Balodi
33 per cent reservation in Parliament may still seem like a far-off dream, but a new Political Leadership course carved out especially for women promises a lotu00a0
Politics is pretty when you're talking women. The fairer sex has mastered the art over centuries, while their men were busy hunting and farming and feeding the family. It's a pity, then, that only a few have emerged Sonias and Mayawatis. A new ladies' special course, however, makes the future seem more hopeful.
Centre for Social Research (CSR), a Vasant Kunj-based NGO involved in children and women empowerment, has launched the first ever online course on Political Leadership, especially for women. The project is a joint endeavour by the Government of India, CSR, Women Power Connect (WPC), United Nations Democracy Fund and United Nations Development Programme.
The aim of this course is to encourage women to take up politics as a career, and groom themselves to become able leaders. Theoretical knowledge and practical skills both form an important part of the curriculum.
Free state
"This leadership course will, I'm sure, enhance the role of women and give equal status to both men and women in politics," said Renuka Chowdhary, Minister for Women and Child Development. If you'd raise a question to that, the answer lies in the fact that WPC is lobbying with political parties to raise the number of seats for women and pushing the 33 per cent reservation bill harder, with the course being a proof of how seriously women take politics as a profession. "Being online, we hope it'll reach out to a large number of from every section of the society, and in different cities across the country," asserted Dr N Hamsa, Executive Director, WPC.
The best part is that the course is absolutely free, and available in many languages and formats. If we delve into the details, the contents of the course include the current political framework and seven modules that cover the basics of political participation, gender and leadership. Take the descriptive demo before applying. Communication and interaction happens over e-mail and chats. The qualifications aren't too many, either.
Now for the exams. There will be one test at the end of each chapter, and if you don't clear it successfully, you won't qualify for the next module. So, if you've always idolised Sonia, stop daydreaming and log on to lead.
Website: www.womenleadership.in
