We often rely on pop culture and literature to find inspiration and to look for role models, and we applaud strong female characters for their resilience and dedication. No less than these characters that we very fondly look up to, was our guest speaker, who addressed the audience members as a part of the webinar series organized by The Centre for Women, Child Rights and Gender Justice, MNLU Mumbai, and Public Concern for Government Trust, Mumbai, titled ‘Gender Equality for a Sustainable Tomorrow’ for International Women’s Day. Born in a traditional Bengali family in Bihar, Mrs. Sutapa Sanyal learned to dot the I’s in a conservative convent school, and like most girls of her time, was taught to be quiet and gentle. This quiet and shy girl who took a keen interest in painting and reading, went on to become the first female IPS officer to serve as Director General (D.G) in the state of Uttar Pradesh. 

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The guest of honour was welcomed by faculty coordinators, Prof. Shraddha Gaikwad and Prof. Shriya Mokta, followed by a welcome address by retired IAS officer, Mr. VP Raja, the chairperson of PCGT Mumbai. The Webinar was moderated by the Head of the Research Wing, Jhanvi Khapgate, and the interviews were conducted by Kalyani Paunikar and Prakruthi. 

 

“Diversity, inclusion, equity are not just nice words, they carry a lot of meaning”

Mrs. Sanyal started off by talking about her days of rigorous police training and by recounting her bittersweet experiences for the spectators. As the only female student in a batch of 78 students, police training was anything but easy. As she proudly narrated how the police training not only made her emotionally and physically stronger, she also shed light on the lack of inclusion and adequate amount of diversity. Right from small details like her subordinates addressing her as ‘sir’ and ‘sahib’, to the daunting question that was often thrown at her, but never at her male counterparts, “Will she be able to deliver?”, she talked about navigating the unknown male-dominated territory of the Justice Delivery System. 

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“If you’re holding back women that form roughly 50% of the society, whether by default or by design, how do we expect an equitable society?”

She expanded on the importance of diversity using a simple yet beautiful analogy of how every person would paint a unique painting when a blank canvas is placed in front of them, highlighting a unique perspective that every individual brings to the table, focusing on how women are capable of bringing in unique ideas and methods of implementation. She also talked about the care economy, and how the same has gained significant importance after the pandemic, where women were seen leaving their jobs in order to take care of their family, which came at an opportunity cost that was completely unaccounted for. 

 

“The most important thing that is holding back women is the mindset” 

A question regarding men being allies was met with a fabulous answer by the guest of honor. She laid emphasis on how patriarchal narratives must be stopped, and how the upbringing of boys plays a key role in determining the kind of adults they grow up to become; boys who are not brought up with a sense of entitlement attached to their manhood or their gender, who are taught how to interact with empowered women, and in a sensitive, well-rounded way, turn into sensitive, accommodating men, who can be called as allies. Towards the end, she also talked about the Mahila Samman Prakoshth, that was implemented under her leadership in UP, and the challenges she faced while implementing the same.

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The event came to a momentous end as Adv. Sonali Shelar delivered the vote of thanks, congratulating the CWCRGJ, PCGT, and the guest of honor for initiating this dialogue and encouraging and inspiring the audience members.