1. Information Resources on
Women for Research and
Training:
with special reference to India
 B R SIWAL

2. Information
The Vital Resource
for
Women’s Development

3. The need for improved Women’s
information system expressed at:
 International Level:
 UN World Conference: 1975, 1980, 1985, 1995
 Regional Level:
 Non-Aligned Minister’ Conference on Women and
Development, 1979, 1985
 SAARC Meeting on Women in Development, 1986
 UN ESCAP Workshop on WINAP, 1987
National Level:
 1st National Conference on Women Studies, 1981
 Many more subsequent conferences/ forums

4. The need and importance of
Information on Gender Issues
 Action
 Advocacy
 Empowerment
 Research and Scholarship
 Policy Planning
 Evaluation and Formulation of Strategies and
Schemes
 Implementation
 Monitoring
 Training

5. Information Resources
on Women
This vast body of information resources on
women generated at various levels and in
myriad forms can be classified broadly in
several ways:
 Primary, secondary and tertiary sources based on the kind
of information they contain;
 Formal, semi-formal, informal and traditional depending on
their distribution pattern;
 Documentary, individual and institutional, depending on
where the information is recorded;
 Textual, audio-video, electronic based on codes/ formats
used to represent information

6. Generation of Women’s
Information
Broadly speaking all information
resources emanate from the following
three major channels:
 Governmental Channels
 Institutional Channels
 Commercial Channels

7. Governmental Channels
The Government as one of the largest
producers/ generators of information.
Government Sources:
 Ministries, Departments (Central/ States)
 Parliament/ Legislative Bodies
 Committees/ Commission etc.
 Census and other data collection agencies
 Law Enforcing Agencies
 Autonomous Bodies

8. Forms of
Government Documents
 Policy Documents
 Committee/ Commission Reports
 Working Group Reports
 Statistical Resources
 Bills and Acts
 Manuals/ Handbooks
 Publicity Material
 Annual Reports
 Miscellanea

9. Institutional Channels
Major generators/ consumers of Women’s
Information:
 Social Science and Development Research Institutes with
the an interest and focus on women’s issues
 Within the university system:
- Women’s Studies centres and cells in colleges
- Various departments in social sciences and humanities
- Activists groups and forums
 Donor and aid agencies
 Grass roots level organizations
 Media groups

10. Institutional Channels Contd…2
Research Information in the form of:
 Research Reports
 Monographs
 Occasional/ working papers
 Theses/ dissertation
 Evaluation Studies
 Alternative Reports

11. Institutional Channels Contd…3
 Others:
 Training Manuals/ Handbooks
 Guidelines
 Pamphlets
 Brochures
 Posters
 Annual Reports
 Audio-Visual materials

12. Other forms of Women’s
Information
 Conferences/ Seminars on Women’s Issues
 Women’s Serials
 Special Issues of Journals
 Newsletters and Bulletins

13. Accessing Women’s
Information
Tools for Access
 Bibliographies
 Abstracting and Indexing Services
 Directories, Handbooks, and Compendiums
 Resource Books
 Libraries, Documentation/ Information/ Resource
Centres
 Online Electronic Resources

14. Library Resources in Delhi
 Research/ Academic Institutional Libraries:
 NASSDOC (National Social Science Documentation Centre)
 NMML (Nehru Memorial Museum and Library)
 NIPCCD (National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child
Development)
 IIPA (Indian Institute of Public Administration)
 NCAER(National Council of Applied Economic Research)
 And others
 Delhi University
 Jamia Milia Islamia
 Jawahar Lal Nehru University

15. Library Resources in Delhi Contd…2
Women’s Special Libraries
 AIWC (All India Women’s Conference):
 CWDS (Centre for Women’s Development Studies): www.cwds.org
 Jagori - Women's Training, Documentation & Resource Centre)
www.jagori.org
 ISST (Indian Social Studies Trust): www.isst-india.org
 Mamta- Health Institute for Mother and Child: www.mamta-himc.org
 NCW (National Commission for Women): www.ncw.nic.in
 Nirantar – A Centre for Women and Education: http://www.nirantar.net/
 Tarshi (Talking about Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues):
www.tarshi.org
 WSDC (Women’s Studies and Development Centre, University of Delhi):
www.go.to/wsdc.com
 Women’s Resource Centre at Janki Devi Mahila Mahavidyalaya

16. Electronic Resources
 On-line resources
 Listserv/ Electronic Discussion Lists
 Information Gateways
 CD-ROM and other media

17. Online Resources
 Government Resources
 Department of Women and Child Development:
www.wcd.nic.in
 National Commission for Women:
www.ncw.nic.in
 Delhi Commission for Women:
www.dcw.delhigovt.nic.in
 Rashtra Mahila Kosh: http://rmk.nic.in
 Central Social Board: www.cswb.org
 NIPCCD: www.nipccd.org

18. Online Resources Contd…2
 Institutional Resources:
- Aalochana: www.ngoindia.com/Aalochana
- CHETNA: www.chetnaindia.org
- Centre for Social Research: www.csrindia.org
- Manushi:
www.imsc.ernet.in/~tabish/manushi.hri.co/itp2002/stejani
- SEWA: www.sewa.org
- SPARROW: www.sparrowonline.org

19. Online Resources Contd…3
 Listserv/ Electronic Discussion Lists
As widely used application for :
Group and Mass Communication
Electronic Networking
Facilitate users to receive and send information on subject-specific issues
Easy to subscribe / unsubscribe
Easy to use
Option for being active
Or Passive user
Option for subscribing to Digests
Options for hosting web-based Archives
Several Gender-related discussion list in existence:
- KNOW-HOW KNOWHOWCONF@NIC.SURFNET.NL
- World of Women’s Studies WOWS-L@NIC.SURFNET.NL
- Int. sociological Association isa@sis.ucm.es

20. Online Resources contd…4
 Listserv/ Electronic Discussion Lists
Tile Net : www.tile.net/
Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists : www.paml.alastra.com
Topica:Tool for Finding Discussion Lists : www.topica.com
Google Groups : www.groups.google.com/
Yahoo Groups : www.groups.yahoo.com/
BOL: E-Discussion list on
Gender Studies in South Asia :
http://www.dgroups.org/groups/cwds-bol

21. BOL: Discussion list on gender issues in South
Asia
 A Moderated Electronic Discussion
list, initiated with the new
millennium by the CWDS to bring
together individuals and organization
at the local, national, regional and
global levels to create a common
interactive forum for gender issue
 Discussion List about issues
pertaining to South Asia. This is the
very first list to be initiated from
India which is planned as a medium
of communication and exchange of
ideas on gender issues
 BOL is hosted on OneWorld South
Asia Dgroup.
BBOOLL CCoonnttaaiinnss iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn oonn::
 IIssssuueess ooff ccuurrrreenntt CCoonncceerrnnss
 JJuuddiicciiaall DDeecciissiioonnss
 RReesseeaarrcchh PPrroojjeeccttss
 CCoonnffeerreenncceess// WWoorrkksshhooppss// TTrraaiinniinngg
PPrrooggrraammss
 OOrrggaanniizzaattiioonnaall RReessoouurrcceess
 NNeeww RReessoouurrcceess
--BBooookkss,, MMoonnooggrraapphhss,, RReeppoorrttss,,
TThheesseess,,WWeebb ssiitteess,, AAuuddiioo--vviissuuaallss
 AAwwaarrddss// HHoonnoorrss// FFeelllloowwsshhiipp
 CCaallll ffoorr PPaappeerrss
 FFuunnddiinngg AAggeenncciieess
 RRaalllliieess// MMeemmoorraanndduumm// CCaammppaaiiggnn
IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn
 WWoommeenn''ss SSttuuddiieess PPrrooggrraamm DDeevveellooppmmeennttss
aanndd CCoouurrssee SSyyllllaabbii
 SSuucccceessss SSttoorriieess

22. Information Gateways
Women watch Internet Gateway : www.un.org/womewatch
GENDWAAR : http://gendwaar.gen.in
NRCW : http://nrcw.nic.in/
Social Science Information Gateway
(SOSIG) : www.sosig.ac.uk
Development Gateway : www.developmentgateway.org
INDEV : www.indev.org

23. Gendwaar: doorway to gender information in South
Asia
http://gendwaar.gen.in
Catalogues | Indexes | Bibliographies | E-Library | Online Resources
Objectives
The site aims ttoo sseerrvvee aass aa ggaatteewwaayy
iimmpprroovviinngg ttwwoo--wwaayy ffllooww ooff iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn
bbeettwweeeenn tthhee NNoorrtthh aanndd SSoouutthh.. IItt sseeeekkss ttoo
eennhhaannccee aacccceessss ttoo ggeennddeerr ssttuuddiieess
iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn ffoorr tthhee SSoouutthh AAssiiaann RReeggiioonn bbyy::
 MMaakkiinngg aavvaaiillaabbllee ccaattaalloogguueess,, iinnddeexxeess,,
bbiibblliiooggrraapphhiieess aanndd ddiirreeccttoorriieess ddeevveellooppeedd bbyy
lliibbrraarriieess iinn tthhee rreeggiioonn wwhhiicchh hhaavvee aa ssppeecciiaall
ffooccuuss oonn ggeennddeerr ssttuuddiieess;;
 SShhaarriinngg aa ggrroowwiinngg ccoolllleeccttiioonn ooff eelleeccttrroonniicc ffuullll
tteexxtt rreessoouurrcceess ffrroomm tthhee rreeggiioonn;;
 HHeellppiinngg sscchhoollaarrss ffrroomm tthhee rreeggiioonn ttoo llooccaattee
rreelleevvaanntt aanndd uusseeffuull iinntteerrnnaattiioonnaall rreessoouurrcceess
iinn tthhee ffiieelldd oonn tthhee NNeett;; aanndd
 IItt sseeeekkss ttoo iinnccrreeaassee tthhee vviissiibbiilliittyy aanndd
eennhhaanncciinngg aacccceessss ttoo ggeennddeerr ssttuuddiieess
iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn aanndd rreesseeaarrcchh iinn tthhee SSoouutthh AAssiiaann
rreeggiioonn..
Collaboration
TThhee GGaatteewwaayy iiss pprroommootteedd jjooiinnttllyy bbyy CCeennttrree
ffoorr WWoommeenn’’ss DDeevveellooppmmeenntt SSttuuddiieess ((NNeeww
DDeellhhii)) aanndd SSNNDDTT WWoommeenn’’ss UUnniivveerrssiittyy
LLiibbrraarryy ((MMuummbbaaii)),, tthhee pprroojjeecctt iiss ffiinnaanncciiaallllyy
ssuuppppoorrtteedd dduurriinngg tthhee iinniittiiaall ppeerriioodd bbyy tthhee
SScchhooooll ooff PPuubblliicc HHeeaalltthh,, UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff
HHaarrvvaarrdd,, MMaassss.. UUSSAA..
IItt wweellccoommeess ccoollllaabboorraattiioonn ffrroomm ootthheerr
oorrggaanniizzaattiioonnss wwoorrkkiinngg oonn ggeennddeerr iissssuueess iinn
tthhee rreeggiioonn -- vviizz.. BBaannggllaaddeesshh,, BBhhuuttaann,, IInnddiiaa,,
MMaallddiivveess,, NNeeppaall,, PPaakkiissttaann,, aanndd SSrrii LLaannkkaa..
Contacts:
Ms. Anju Vyas :cwdslib@vsnl.net
Dr. Bharati Sen: sndtulib@bom3.vsnl.net.in

24. Gendwaar: http://gendwaar.gen.in
 Contents:
- Library catalogues: provides online access to catalogues of
three major Women’s Studies Library Collection:
- Research Centre for Women’s Studies, SNDT Women’s
University, Mumbai
- SNDT Women’s University Library, Mumbai
- Centre for Women’s Development Studies, New Delhi
- Indexes
- Full-text resources
- Bibliographies
- Directories
- Lists of publications
- On-line resources

25. Gendwaar: http://gendwaar.gen.in
 On line Catalogues:
 SNDT Women’s University (Mumbai)
 Research Centre for Women’s Studies, SNDT Women’s
University (Mumbai)
 Centre for Women’s Development Studies, New Delhi
 Unit of Women’s Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences
(Mumbai)
 Mumbai University (Mumbai)

26. Gender Training Materials
Directory of UN Resources on Gender and Women's Issues: http://
www.un.org/womenwatch/asp/user/list.asp?ParentID=10879
Commonwealth Systems - Gender Training Resource Collection: http://
www.col.org/GenderResources/
Gender-sensitive training materials: http://
portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php
-URL_ID=14634&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
IDRC: Annotated Bibliography of Gender Training Manuals:
http://web.idrc.ca/en/ev-3196-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
Training manual on gender analysis for monitoring and evaluation :
http://www.fao.org/sd/dim_pe1/pe1_040702_en.htm
Gender, HIV/AIDS and rights: a training manual for the media:
http://www.eldis.org/static/DOC11885.htm

27. Gender Training Material contd……2
IGNOU Gender Training Kit: http://www.ignou.ac.in/igun_gentr/index.asp
A Training Manual for Health Managers: Transforming Health Systems: Gender and
Rights in Reproductive Health :
http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/gender_and_rights_in_RH/transforming_Action for Development (ACFODE) Gender Budget Training Manual:
http://www.gender-budgets.org/en/ev-81782-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
Training Manual for the Media: Gender, HIV/AIDS and Rights:
http://www.ipsnews.net/aids_2002/ipsgender2003.pdf
Gender Manual: A Practical Guide for Development Policy Makers and Practitioners
http://www2.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/gendermanual.pdf
The Gender Management system (GMS) Toolkit : http://

28. THANK YOU