The University of Calabar has said that its Diploma programme in Gender Development Studies was not introduced to fight the male folk, but was part of its bid to expand the university’s curriculum.
The Executive Director, Centre for Gender Development at the University of Calabar, Dr Brenda Akpan, stated this on Wednesday, in Calabar, at an event organised to officially announce the commencement of the programme.
She said that the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Florence Obi, was gender-sensitive, a cogent reason she approved the programme to further expand the institution’s curriculum offerings.
Akpan said that the centre had also concluded plans to sensitise men and women to recognise and appreciate their sociological and cultural responsibilities, rights and roles in the society.
According to her, the vision and mission of developing gender processes and sensitivity in the university were to introduce, develop and mainstream gender in best global perspectives.
She said that gender equality was not a fight against the male folk, but reasoning which requires that all women, regardless of barriers such as class, race, ability, identity and other factors had equal opportunities in the society.
While thanking the Vice-Chancellor for her support to the centre, she noted that the VC was desirous of building an academic environment where everybody, irrespective of gender, was carried along in the scheme of things.
She gave the assurance that the centre would always deliver on its mandate, by establishing marketable programmes, in line with the policy thrust of the current administration.
Akpan noted that key courses lined up under the programme included Gender Law, Entrepreneurship, Gender Criminality and Social Justice, Counselling Techniques, Gender and Health Studies, among others.
The coordinator of the diploma programme, Mr Bassey Ekeng, noted that lectures would commence as soon as everything had been put in place.
He assured the students of a wonderful and fulfilling time during the cycle of the two-year programme.
