Jesus and Mary College is a beacon of hope and empowerment for women from all strata of society across India in the field of higher education. It has a stellar track record in transforming the lives of the countless young women students that have passed through its portals. JMC continues to challenge itself to stay ahead of the curve and address the changing needs of its students and society in the most innovative, engaged, compassionate way while providing cutting edge, competitive education.
Women Centric Founding Mission and Vision
Jesus and Mary College was founded in 1968 with a mission to provide quality education to young women. Last year we celebrated our Golden Jubilee marking 50 years of ‘Empowering Women through Transformative Education’.
Our vision has been to provide the kind of transformative education that will enable our students to
- create a just, humane and inclusive society
- develop as women of competence, compassion and conscience
- pursue the goal of social transformation as empowered individuals
- realize their potential and self-worth so that they evolve as leaders and transforming agents who make a significant contribution in all spheres of national and global life.
Gender Sensitization within and outside the Classroom
- As a leading women’s liberal arts college, we prioritize creating a safe space for our students to gain a gender sensitive and empowering education.
- All courses at JMC offer papers that are gender oriented, though the pedagogy of gender sensitization extends beyond the classroom. We take pride in having created a vibrant campus environment that allows students to think critically, to question, act and resist creatively.
- The vast and open amphitheater, the Common Room, and the various lawns at JMC provide spaces to students to hold public discussions and interactive sessions. Our Women’s Study Centre often uses these spaces to hold jan sunwais (public hearings).
- Each department organises events that reinforce the institution’s larger vision and mission to provide empowering education to young women.
- In 2015-16, twenty-five formal events related to gender were organised; 2016-17, twenty-nine; 2017-18, twenty-eight; 2018-19, twenty-nine; and 2019-20, ten.
- Jesus and Mary College’s year-long Golden Jubilee celebrations culminated in a two-day International Conference on 3rd and 4th October 2018 titled “Empowering Women through Transformative Education”. This Conference created a dialogue on the issues of gender empowerment, its meanings, importance and role of various agencies, in general, and higher education, in particular. Around 40 delegates presented their papers in 4 Thematic Technical Sessions. Both the Chief Guest Prof. Yogesh K. Tyagi, Vice Chancellor of University of Delhi and Keynote Speaker Prof. (Retd.) Karuna Chanana highlighted the need for education to be truly transformational.
- In 2020, during the lockdown necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, JMC organised webinars addressing gender issues.
The Women’s Study Centre (WSC) and its Specialized Role in the Institution
- WSC, JMC plays a critical role in fostering gender sensitivity on campus. Programmes in the form of lectures, conferences, and workshops are organised throughout the year to create an intersectional awareness amongst undergraduate students about the inequalities confronting different genders.
- From 2015-20, the WSC has been focused on providing adequate space for students to think critically and engage in open discussions about various issues such as:
1. women and labour 2. gender and sexuality 3. violence at home 4. influence of media 5. laws and rights 6. health and hygiene.
Sensitivity to Mental Health Issues and Provision of Counsellors on Campus
- Special attention has been paid to issues relevant to women in the 21st century, especially those of mental health, sexual identities, and sexual harassment in the workplace.
- For more personal and individualised help, the WSC has engaged counsellors to be available to students. These counsellors not only meet students for individual sessions but also meet with teachers to further help them to create a gender sensitive and enabling classroom environment.
- During the Covid-19 necessitated lockdown, JMC organized several webinars that sought to address student related issues like mental and physical health, meditation and well-being and careers in a post-Covid world. JMC also organized a webinar for the faculty titled “Understanding and Mentoring Young People” to equip faculty members to be better mentors.
Internal Complaints Committee
- The college has constituted an ICC in accordance with the guidelines delineated by the UGC and notifications issued by the University of Delhi pertaining to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressed) Act, 2013.
- ICC comprises of elected students and nominated members from the teaching and administrative communities. It registers complaints of workplace sexual harassment and undertakes formal proceedings to resolve them.
- Every year the ICC organizes a special session on what constitutes sexual harassment and explains the procedure of filing a complaint with the ICC. Information of the ICC members is displayed in important places in the college and on the college website.
Engagement with the Local Community
- In 2018-19, the Research and Outreach Cell, Department of Economics, conducted a research project at Sanjay Camp, an urban slum located in Chanakyapuri. Focusing specifically on the situation of women, the survey collected information on living conditions, employment, educational qualification, demographics and health and sanitation. The objective was to conduct an outreach programme focusing on aspects which showcased the weakest indicators. The cell conducted a session on menstrual hygiene, contraceptives and legal rights since many women were unaware of these issues.
- The JMC WSC and ICC have been committed to include and engage with the local community. They recognize the fact that gender sensitization and messages of gender equality cannot be imparted in isolation from the larger community.
- Each year, the WSC undertakes projects that further the goal of community inclusion vis-a-vis issues of women’s safety, such as:
1. Survey and research projects on PG safety and Safety Audits conducted in the neighbouring areas.
2. The results of the same have been submitted to the office of Delhi Commission of Women.
3. Results from the former have helped create a dossier of good and safe PGs for outstation students.
