The first three-month Certificate Course in Multi-Disciplinary Women’s Studies was held in 1998 and continued until 2004.  The course modules were: reading/research skills, History/Herstory; Political Economy; the State; Globalization and International Financial Institutions; Women and Violence; Education; Women and Law; Women and Human Rights including International agreements directly related to women; Ideology and Identity; Health and Psychology; Media and Cultural representation; Women’s Literature; the Women’s Movement; Feminist Theory; and Women, Peace and Conflict.

The IWSL attracted students from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, The Philippines, South Africa, and Nigeria. The faculty was from India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, the USA, Australia, Europe, and several from Pakistan. The students were leaders in NGOs, Faculty of Women’s Studies programmes in the region; Post Graduate Students; Lawyers, Architects, Artists, Environmentalists, Writers, Journalists, etc.

Course Modules

The Certificate Course Modules are as follows:

Orientation           Overview of Women’s Studies/ Concepts/Research and  Academic Skills

Module One:        History-Herstory

Module Two:       Political Economy

Module Three:     Identity/Ideology/Law/ Religion/Education

Module Four:       Cultural Representation (Print Media, Theatre, T.V., Film, Dance, Art) Literature

Module Five:        Women’s Movement, People’s Struggles

Module Six:          Women and Peace

Module Seven:     Feminist Theories

Module Eight:      Writing & Completion of Final Assignment