Consultancy and Advocacy

State Level Consultation on Drug Dependency and Children

A state level consultation on drug Dependency and children was held. Directors of various Civil Society Originations, Academicians, Doctors, Government Officials and Students participated in it. The use of drugs by students in schools and colleges in Tamil Nadu has been discussed in great detail. In a one-day consultation meeting, advice was given on how Civil Society Originations can reach out to students. A one-day Consultation the three organized jointly, Tamil Nadu People’s Forum for Tobacco Control (TNPFTC) Centre for Child Rights and Development (CCRD) Madras School for Social Work (MSSW), Centre for Social Justice and Equity Held On 10.01.2024.

Objective

The purpose of this conference is to prevent tobacco Prevention should be done closely, among school students. Exposure to smoking and their knowledge level should be identified and their lives improved. Tobacco Control in Tamil Nadu.

Consultation on Social Justice and Equity Ecosystem in Tamil Nadu

The Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu in collaboration with the Madras School of Social Work (MSSW), Chennai, took a significant step towards promoting social justice and equity by establishing the Centre for Social Justice and Equity (CSJE) at MSSW. To discuss CSJE’s annual plan, a Consultation on Social Justice and Equity Ecosystem in Tamil Nadu was held on the 25th of August 2023.

The event commenced with a warm welcome by Dr. S. Raja Samuel, Principal of MSSW, who provided insights into the vision and objectives of the newly founded CSJE. Prof. M. Antony Stephen, Head of the Department of Social Entrepreneurship at MSSW, presented the proposed annual plan of the CSJE. He outlined the key areas of focus, including research projects, community engagement initiatives, capacity-building workshops, and policy advocacy efforts. The plan’s emphasis was on generating actionable insights that would contribute to the upliftment of marginalized communities and promote social inclusivity.

The core segment of the event was the discussion on the proposed annual plan. Dr. Natarajan, Advisor to CSJE at MSSW, facilitated the session, inviting inputs from various stakeholders present, including activists, academicians, and fieldworkers. This diverse range of participants brought forth valuable perspectives, suggesting potential enhancements to the plan and recommending new avenues of exploration.

Dr.S.Ilavarasi

Research Associate of Centre for Social Justice and Equity of Madras School of Social Work has completed her master’s and M.Phil. degrees in women’s studies. She did her doctoral research on ‘Women and Water: Problems and Possibilities of Water Governance – AMicrostudy in Tamil Nadu’ and awarded her Ph.D. in 2019. She has two years of experience as a Research Associate at the State Institute of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (SIRD & PR) of Government of Tamil Nadu in the period of 2018–2020, in which she has engaged with action research projects primarily focusing on gender and Sustainable Development Goals. She has been engaging in gender sensitization training programmes, menstrual hygiene management trainings, and sexual harassment against women. She had teaching experience as guest lecturer in women’s studies at Bharathidasan University and University of Madras for two years. She has published research papers and journals on gender and water governance. She has also produced documentaries on the themes of marginalised communities includes dalits, tribes, and women. She has participated and organised various national and international conferences.