Education should not be gender biased

...says MTW varsity VC, blames alcohol for crimes against women Prof. K Manimekalai, Vice-Chancellor, Mother Teresa Women's University, Kodaikanal, said that the present patriarchal system and alcohol were the root causes for crime against women. Addressing a workshop on 'Gender based violence against women' organised by Sri Padmavathi Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam in Tirupati on Monday, she said, India ranks 136 in the world with regard to Human Development Index and this should be improved. This was only possible through education, increase of life expectancy and per capita income, she said. Prof Manimekalai said that the people should realise that chronic alcoholism was harmful to the society and they should avoid consuming liquor. She said that we could definitely increase morality and reduce the crimes against women, if alcoholic consumption goes down and the evils of the patriarchal society eliminated. She said that the education that was imparted should not be gender biased. Once the education starts at home by parents, the teenagers will have a better outlook on social and individual responsibility, she said. Nowadays, the women were more concerned about their safety, especially after the Nirbhaya incident in New Delhi, she said. Such types of rapes and murders were taking place in several parts of the country every day, she pointed. Prof Manimekalai said that rapists should be sentenced to death in rarest of rare cases, but no innocent person should become a victim, in the process. Since the roots of gender based violence against women were in our patriarchal society and in drinking habit, solution would also be within and it was up to policy makers to take a decision, she said. Replying to another query, Manimekalai said that learning of martial arts was good for women for their self defence. Also, she said that the ultimate solution to control crime against women was only possible through individual responsibility and education.