Centre for Women's Development Studies

rdf:langString Centre for Women's Development Studies

rdf:langString Centre for Women's Development Studies

rdf:langString Centre for Women's Development Studies

rdf:langString Vasanthi Raman

rdf:langString India

rdf:langString Renu Addlakha

rdf:langString CWDS

rdf:langString ICSSR supported Research Institute

rdf:langString The Centre for Women's Development Studies (CWDS) was founded in 1980 by a group of scholars and activists committed to expanding and transforming accepted notions of gender-related research and action across the social sciences. The establishment of the centre was a direct outcome of the experiences of its founders—some of them had been an integral part of the path-breaking Towards Equality (Report of the Committee on the Status of Women in India, 1974) while others had participated in the Indian Council of Social Science Research's introduction of women's studies (1976–80). Through its research, action, documentation, training, and networking in the intervening years, the centre has been steadily deepening its critical analyses of trends and issues related to women and gender. Seeking new directions in feminist scholarship, its faculty has initiated and facilitated multidisciplinary explorations, found new institutional partners as well as shared its research findings with a growing network of scholars and activists. In response to the major economic, political, and cultural shifts and unanticipated challenges that have brought us into the twenty-first century, CWDS is effecting a synergy between existing concerns and new compulsions. The CWDS is among the most well-known institutions committed to the theory and practice of women's studies and gender justice in the region. It consists of a faculty with diverse research interests, actively promotes advocacy and policy interventions, and houses an impressive library and documentation centre. Located in the heart of New Delhi, the centre attracts scholars, students, activists, and many others from India and abroad who draw on its resources and varied expertise.