Achieving the ambitious sustainable development goal of Gender equality and women’s empowerment requires a transformative shift, innovative approaches, and sincere efforts. Reaching a 50-50 planet by 2030 needs support from every nook and corner. At Rajarambapu Institute of Technology, we have prioritized girl student empowerment on the Institute agenda. A program called as ‘SHARDANYAS’ to develop professional skills among female students, which can lay a foundation for them to become a strong and successful professionals engineers was started in the year 2004.

Shardanyas focuses on:

• Creating the agile working platform for their social, affective, and cognitive developments
• Creating inclusive learning space, where girls’ are able to progress and reach their full potential.
• Commitment to UNHeForShe guidelines.
• Creating a space where the girls’ can share their experiences, lessons learned and highlight their innovations and skills.
• Identifying key barriers in girls’ advancement and take actions to address these barriers and needs.
• Promoting research and Entrepreneurship culture among girls students
• To build confidence among girls’ to enable them to pursue their career and ensure future growth.

The program hosts a number of workshops and competitions through the year. Project competition for Girls is conducted consistently for the last three years. Thus, the girl students are able to display and receive feedback for improvement from nationwide judges. Workshops aspects like laws for their safety, Menstrual Hygiene Management and Awareness, Women Empowerment and Career Opportunities are organized. The program ends with a two-week concluding event consisting of technical events such as debates, extempore speeches, and quizzes for developing technical and analytical skills. Also, non-technical / cultural events such as floral decoration, ‘Rangoli’ (an art form, originating in the Indian subcontinent), drawing, face painting, cooking, dance and drama for enhancing their creativity, intellectual curiosity, and openness to new experiences. We Support education of the girl students by providing funds from the community(An organization registered with Charity Commissioner). Most of the girls joining our institute come from rural background. Making them move out to bigger cities for projects and internships is a big challenge for us.

Impact:

It is measured in terms of the improvement in the number and quality of placements, entrepreneurs, higher studies and other parameters:

• The number of girls opting for engineering as a career has increased from as low as 12% in 2004 to 35% in 2018-19.
• From 2004, the number of girls taking part in the Shardanyas program has increased by 60% and currently collectively reach around 1200 girls annually
• Girls from 10-12 engineering colleges participate in the Project competition every year and the entries are consistently increased almost by 30%.
• 6 % of girls placed in renowned companies with a highest package ofRs. 5.50 LPA and an average package of Rs.2.81LPAin 2018-19 as compared to 48.67% girls with the highest package of Rs. 4.50 LPA and an average package of Rs.2.74 LPAin 2017-18.
• 12 girls have been supported through community for a collective amount ofRs. One Lakh and five thousand as fees to complete their education.
• 4 girls had proven themselves as entrepreneurs in 2017-18 rising to 12 in 2018-19.
• The feedback received from around 25% as sample reflected an increase in self-realization, self-confidence. Their focus towards life has shifted from marriage to building their career as an individual.

If we win, our investments will be to bring renowned resource persons as role models. A scientific process of personality development diagnostic tests and improvement training on weaknesses identified. Providing coaching for GATE and GRE. Profile building to promote higher education in reputed institutes across the world, Career planning and advancement.

Summary of Activities conducted for Women Empowerment at RIT

Academic Year 2022-23

Academic Year 2021-22

Academic Year 2018-19

Rajarambapu Institute of Technology, Rajaramnagar is continuously striving for overall development and empowerment of girl students of the institute. To develop them not only through the academics but also through the various activities will help to shine girl students in their carrier. With this belief, the institute encourages the various extra-curricular activities for girl students throughout the year. The activities contain guest lectures on personal hygiene, good health, awareness about laws for women, health check-up camps, Cultural event, technical and nontechnical competitions etc. The Institute organizes a state level project competition only for girl students. These activities will develop the girl students for facing the challenges in career and improve their involvement in all fronts.

Event Name: Orientation to FY Students on 8th Aug 2018
By Ashwini Patil and Kalyani Kulkarni

Event Name: Guest Lecture on Menstrual Hygiene Management to FY students on 8th Aug 2018
Chief Guest: Mr. Swapnil Shirsekar and Manjushri Phase

Event Name: Guest Lecture on ‘Menstrual Hygiene Management & Awareness’ 24/07/2018 all MBA students
Chief Guest: Mr. Swapnil Shirsekar, Founder of Step-up Foundation

Shardanyas 2k18

Shardanyas- Cultural event (for girl students). This event is conducted every year during the period of Navratri.

Girls from RIT celebrating the 9 days of Navratri, with different color and activities including Mehandi, Hairstyle, Nail art, Bangles, Anarkali, etc. Some nontechnical events like Treasure Hunt, Selfie hunt, food preparation, Salad decoration, Flower arrangement, Poster presentation(society Related Issues), etc are also arranged during these days. In the academic Year 2018-19, “Shardanyas 2k18” event was conducted on 13^th Oct 2018.