States » WestPosted at: Oct 18 2026 7:45PM


Maha: Chinchwad hosts International conference on Buddhist women's leadership and empowerment

Pimpri, Oct 18 (UNI) An international Buddhist women's conference held in Chinchwad here brought together scholars to deliberate on women's leadership, their historical contributions to Buddhism, the global Bhikkhuni tradition, mental health and the role of Buddhist values in fostering social responsibility and promoting an inclusive society.
Around 1,000 Buddhist followers attended the conference, organised by scholars Dr Ujjwala Andurkar, Dr Sandhya Haribhakt, Dr Vaishali Bhamre and Lakshmikanta Mane, in collaboration with Wisdom in Motion, Catalyst Foundation and the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI).
The conference was held at Prof Ramkrishna More Auditorium, bringing together Buddhist nuns, scholars, intellectuals, social activists and women from various fields in India and abroad.
Senior social activist Prof Vimal Thorat, the chief guest, called upon the younger generation, particularly Gen Z, to take forward the thoughts of Gautama Buddha and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. She said women had taken Ambedkar's call to become educated seriously and were working towards creating a new educated generation.
Dr Vaishali Pradhan, principal of Milind College and a special guest, called for handing over the Bodh Gaya Mahavihara to Buddhists and urged the Maharashtra government to take the initiative to establish an independent Pali university in the state. She also invited the organisers to hold the next conference at Milind College, established by Dr Ambedkar.
Prof Manori P. Senanayake spoke on Buddhist values of service and social responsibility, emphasising the principles of Bahujan Hitay and Bahujan Sukhay (welfare and happiness of the many).
Bhikkhuni Mahakasa presented a video address on the inspiring global role of the Korean Bhikkhuni Sangha. Dr Rupali Bhamre Moon discussed the spread of Ambedkarite thought abroad and the role of the Indian community, while Bhikkhuni Visuddhipanna spoke about the contribution of Vietnamese Buddhist nuns in the transition from war to peace.
Dr Yojana Bhagat examined the historical journey of Buddhist women through inscriptions.
A session on mental health featured Dr Neelam Oswal, who discussed ways to address stress, anxiety and psychological distress through Buddhist philosophy.
Actress Chinmayi Sumit shared her journey towards embracing Ambedkarite thought, describing Ambedkar's philosophy as a way of life rather than merely an ideology. She also spoke about how learning about the role of Ambedkar's mother influenced her life.
Bhikkhuni Uppalavana Theri from Sri Lanka, Tibetan Buddhist nun Drupön Gyaltsen Samten, Bhante Suniti Bhikkhuni and Bhikkhuni Shakya Dhammadinna shared their experiences and discussed the journey of the women's monastic community.
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