She observed that the importance of education as a liberating tool to changing the lives of women has been long accepted and from the very beginning of the movement of the Women's liberation, education has been identified as the major instrument.
Mrs. Alva was addressing the Founder's Day programme at the Women's College of the Aligarh Muslim University here today.
Paying rich homage to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and his wife Waheed Jahan, she said both these great personalities have championed the cause of education for Muslim women in an era of difficult times. They founded a girls' school in 1906 and established the Female Education Association for empowerment of women. The birth of Abdullah Girls' School was indeed a rare achievement.
The Governor of Uttarakhand Mrs. Margret Alva pointed out that its an unfortunate and shameful reality of contemporary India that despite its improved economic showing, its gender indices on various parameters such as infant and maternal mortality, health, nutrition, education etc. remain the most abysmal, even in comparison with some of the poorest countries of the world.
Discussing the issue of minorities education, she said that the literacy percentage of Muslims is considerably lower than the national average and in the case of Muslim women it is even lower. She called upon the educated women whose mind has been freed, to whom enlightenment has come, to look at life from a new angle and with a new perspective. She urged the women to be always ready to pay the price, but be catalyst for change and instruments of women's liberation.
In his presidential address, AMU Vice Chancellor, Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis announced that AMU will establish two Women Colleges and Women Polytechnics, one each at Murshidabad in West Bengal and Malappuram in Kerala from the next academic session to provide education to the women as a deliberate strategy to empower them. He said that the BALLB and MBA courses will start in all the above AMU Centres by the end of this month.
Prof. Azis said that the genesis of AMU Women's College is 106 years old and it has produced generations of million of graduates who are occupying important places in all walks of life.
Earlier, the Principal of the AMU Women's College, Prof. Bilquis Naseem Waris welcomed the guests while briefly highlighting recent achievements of its staff and students, said that Shaikh Abdullah responded to all new thoughts and ideas relating to the education of women and built a system of education that truly brought enlightenment and empowerment to women of this sub-continent.
Recalling the notable change the Womens' College is witnessing, she said one of our old girl Annu Raj Singh won Gold Medal in pistol shooting in the Commonwealth Gamesand 'Ms. Maryam Zehra was elected as a cabinet to the new AMU Students Union.
The guest of honour, Prof. Najma Zaheer Baquer, Professor Emeritus, School of Life Sciences, JNU, New Delhi also addressed the Founder's Day. She said that she was able to get a renewed confidence and the new grooming that she received from Women's College that led to success in her later life.
On this occasion, Women's College today conferred Papa Mian Award on Sana Amir. Several awards and certificates were also presented to brilliant girls by the Governor of Uttarakhand, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Zakia Siddiqui and Prof. Bilquis Naseem Waris.
Two books authored by Dr. Atia Abid and Prof. Mahlaqa Choudhary were released by Mrs. Margret Alva.