When Dr Saeeda Hameed, the only female member of the Planning Commission, was born, her relatives sent their condolences to her father mourning the birth of a girl child. On Thursday, addressing school and college girls at the National Symposium on Girls and Girlhood organised by Vacha, a resource centre for Women at the SNDT University for Women, Dr Hameed could not help but reminisce the herculean efforts made by her parents to help her reach where she is today.

The first day of the three day event saw participation of eminent researchers and scholars from across India as well as girl students from schools and NGOs across eight states of the country.

Dr Hameed stressed on the significance of the Right to Education bill, recently cleared by the Cabinet, for the education of girl child in India. “We need support from all quarters to ensure that the Right to Education bill is passed so that the current ‘apartheid’ education system is done away with. We need to question the current system of schooling that is divisive in nature” said Dr Hameed. Dr Anita Rampal, member of the 11th plan Working Groups for Elementary Education and a professor at the Delhi University concurred, “There is an urgent need to restructure our education system which does not necessarily stand for social transformation but instead produces inequalities at various stages. School curriculum should empower students. That is why the need for Right to Education bill is of paramount importance especially to the girl child.” Hameed also expressed her disillusionment at being the only female member of the Planning Commission. Hameed, who strived to introduce schemes for women, hoped that the next Planning Commission would have at least two more women members ‘to strengthen the voices of women of this country.’

“The effort of the 11th plan is to ensure that women’s issues are not neglected. Women make up almost half of the population of the country contributing in every sector. But what are the resources allotted to them? What are the efforts made to include them?”

Hameed asked the gathering school girls and professors. She stressed on the central government schemes like the Nutrition Programme for adolescent girls and the Kishori Shakti Yojana and the need for the government to allocate more funds for development of adolescent girls.

“During meetings of the Planning Commission, I have always tried to sensitize ministers of different states about various issues of women instead of the stereotypical ones,” Dr Hameed concluded.

The three day symposium, being held at the SNDT Churchgate campus will also host lectures on issues ranging from violence against girls, ‘Demography of Girls, ‘Legal System’ and ‘Strategies for Change.’