Shamma: Youth talk Women Empowerment amid protests at IUST

Pulwama: Shamma – a workshop on Women Empowerment & Entrepreneurship was organized amid protests and tear smoke shelling at Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUST) in Awantipora.

The programme, which was held at Kathi Junction Awantipora, was organized by SRB Style Statement in association with Kathi Junction IUST and Yamberzal Productions.

In the programme SHAMMA, where the participants were mostly youth, a Guest Interaction was followed by Question Answer and Open Discussion.

The guest speakers included Ufra Mir (Peace Psychologist & member of The Kashmir Institute), Mehak Rasool (Co-founder for Mashek – NGO), Nadiya Shafi (Community Correspondent for Video Volunteers & Martha Farrell Foundation awardee) and Mehvish Zargar (Owner of Me ‘n’ U Cafe).

Arsh Raina enthralled the participants with his singing while Anwar Kasana made them burst in laughter with his hilarious mimicry of Bollywood actors.

“We feel proud to hold this event named ‘Shamma’. This women empowerment conference made the participants aware of how hard it is for women to face the society and its ill-fated ‘diktats’. Also, we discovered some inspirational stories of success achieved by the women participants,” said Shahid Rashid Bhat, organizer of the workshop.

Syed Mohsin Andrabi, Managing Director of SRB Style Statement said, “This highly exciting programme will be highly impactful in bringing a change in our society to empower women.”

“This was the fourth endeavour from SRB Style Statement which targeted to reconstruct women empowerment. Our event are basically aimed to reform the society and bring innovative concepts so as to ignite minds of  the people. We wish to see more and more women entrepreneurs so that women will get to explore their talent and won’t hanker after scarce government jobs,” Rumi Nazir, General Secretary of the fashion brand said.

Few other guests including professors from the IUST’s Department of Convergent Journalism who were to speak during the event could not reach the venue due to student protests in the University campus.

Pertinently, the student protests erupted in the University after police arrested an IUST student, Tasaduq Rashid on Thursday. Five students were arrested among the protesting students as the clashes intensified. However, the police later gave in to the demands of the students and released all the detainees.