Patna, Jan. 10: Gender equality can be maintained in society only if more rights are given to women on the home front and outside, felt academics and professionals participating in a seminar at the Arvind Mahila College.

The UGC-sponsored two-day seminar on gender equality, which concluded today, saw the eminent personalities like Anjana Prasad, Patna High Court judge, Acharya Sri Kishore Kunal, chairman, Bihar State Religious Trust Board and Santosh Kumar, retired professor, NIT, raising their voice in support of women empowerment.

Santosh Kumar was of the opinion that woman should be given equal rights and should share equal responsibilities with her husband. “If one of them is shouldering more responsibility, it would disbalance the vehicle of life,” he said. Anjana Prasad said: “Woman herself is responsible for ensuring her rights. I attended an international seminar few days ago. There men were asked if they thought of themselves to be superior to women and all 11 raised their hands in support while women raised their hands when they were asked if they felt they were inferior to men. So it is the women who need to change their perspective first about their identity. Only then can she claim her rights.”

Acharya Kishore Kunal gave the examples of women from history who have been torchbearers of empowerment and right to equality.

“Nurjahan, Ahilyabai Holkar, Rajiya Sultan, despite living in a male-dominated society, proved their strength,” he said. He also recited shlokas written by women writers and spoke about matriarchal society of past like Satwahan dynasty where the Gotra name was on the name of mother.

“Woman should not act against another women,” said Asha Singh, principal, Arvind Mahila College.