Orientation visit to Vimochana, Bengaluru

A one-day orientation visit to Vimochana, an organisation working for the rights of women, was organsied by the Department of Social Work, St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Bengaluru, for the 1^styear MSW students on 27th June, 2019. Two faculty members from the Department of Social Work- Dr. Mary Princess Lavanya, AssistantProfessor and Ms. Latha Paul, Assistant Professor, accompanied the students.The orientation began with an introduction to the need for the existence of the organisation. The representative from Vimochana explained how gender equality was once almost non-existent and the various historical events that had led to the emergence of the concept of women’s rights. The inhuman acts of violence and torture experienced by women during world war two was also described in detail. The existence of neonaticideor the killing of the new-born (especially female) within 24 hours of its birth in some regions of the nation was also highlighted. Other issues that were discussed included the problem of sexual harassment faced by women as well as the issue of missile testing by some developed nations in certain islands that was leading to the ill-health of many children. Overall, the orientation visit was an eye-opening visit for many of the students and helped them develop a deeper understanding of the problems faced by women and the specific social issues that require urgent attention. The visit ended at 4 PM. A student representative thanked the representatives from Vimochana for spending their valuable time with the students.