Dr. B. R. Ambedkar open university is a pioneer in India to provide distance education to the most disadvantaged sections of the society including house wives, women employees and women prisoners. Women are the most disadvantaged group who cannot pursue higher education owing to various social and economical barriers. DR.BRAOU promotes women higher education through flexible system of distance education.
DR.BRAOU established Women’s Development and Extension Centre (WDEC) for the welfare of women employees and women students of the university. WDEC is established in July 1993. since the inception, WDEC has been playing a vital role in the development of the women employees and female students of the university at several fronts .WDEC has been instrumenting , enhancing the social consciousness and awareness among the women employees and female students. As we believe women education will lead to women empowerment, WDEC has been striving for the social change in the society by encouraging women higher education. DR.BRAOU has exclusive study centres for women, it shows the commitment of the university for the cause.
In the journey of 28 years of WDEC, several programmes have been organized for the physical, mental and professional development of the women employees. These kind of programmes help the women employees to excel in their work without stress and help them in time management. The programmes on the personal and professional life balance instill the confidence in the women employees to face every-day challenges both in personal and professional lives.
WDEC organizes Awareness programmes on domestic violence and sexual harassment at work place by inviting the eminent women police officers, advocates and social activists to create the awareness about the types of crimes women may be facing without actually knowing it is harassment. Such discussions enable women employees to face these challenges of life.
WDEC celebrates international women’s day every year not as a ritual but brainstorming and enlightening sessions take place amidst the women of excellence from different fields.
Over all WDEC is trying to educate the women employees through the lectures and the symposiums and all other activities and inculcates social awareness among women employees.