The All Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association (AKPCTA) has always upheld gender equality and justice in the field of higher education. With a shift in the gender ratio among college teachers, it was widely felt within the organization that a Women’s Committee could more effectively align women college teachers with the association and provide them with a forum to voice their key concerns—particularly regarding gender issues, and higher education in general.

Although active efforts can be traced back to 2004, the Women’s Committee became a reality only in 2008. Currently, there are full-fledged Women’s Committees functioning at the branch, district, regional, and state levels.

The first meeting of the Women’s Committee, held in Thiruvananthapuram on 19 September 2008, elected Dr. R. B. Rajalakshmi as Chairperson and Dr. Lekha Narendran as Convenor. Currently, Prof. Asha Prabhakaran (Vice President, AKPCTA) serves as Chairperson, and Dr. Joobi V. P. as the Convenor of the Women’s Committee.

Over the past 16 years, the Women’s Committee has undertaken a wide range of activities addressing various issues related to the higher education sector and the broader public sphere. These have included campaigns, protests, awareness programmes, innovative initiatives, and collective-building efforts. The committee collaborates with the Editorial Board of the association’s journal to publish the annual Women’s Issue of The Private College Teacher.

In 2020–21, the Women’s Committee initiated a resource mapping and talent-pooling project to identify and harness the skills of women teachers across the state, for the benefit of both society and the organization. The Committee has also been consistently organizing state-level camps and conventions to address the pertinent issues faced by the teaching community.

Asha Prabhakaran

Women's Committee Chairperson

Asha Prabhakaran
Assistant Professor
Dept. of English
HHMSPB NSS College,Neeramankara
Thiruvananthapuram
9446374171
ashabalagopal2014@gmail.com

Seeja K R

Women's Committee Convener

Dr Seeja K R
Assistant Professor
SNM Training College, Moothakunnam
9847519235