Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 30 Aug: Renu D Singh, 64, noted gender rights activist and social worker, was conferred the Honorary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by Orange County University, California, USA, on 29 August for her work in gender rights activism and social work. Singh was honoured by Dr Ryan Doan, Chief Academic Officer of Orange County University.
Singh, who has devoted nearly 45 years to gender rights and social activism, is the founding president of Samadhan Legal Helpline for Women, Dehradun. The organisation is known for providing effective pro bono legal services aimed at securing justice and empowering women survivors of sexual violence.
She has received several honours for her contribution to women’s empowerment and gender justice, including the Times of India Brand Ambassador award in the women empowerment category, Rotary International’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Gender Justice and the Garhwal Post Daughters of Uttarakhand Award in the women empowerment category.
Singh had also participated in the C-20 as a gender rights activist. Her organisation, Samadhan, has also received recognition in the C-20 thematic book as an example of an effective working model for its work in the field.
She has also been associated with several proactive Public Interest Litigations (PILs), which have resulted in significant directions from courts. Her PIL in the Nainital High Court seeking replacement of the revenue police system with regular policing across Uttarakhand came in the wake of the Ankita Bhandari murder case. She was also the only person to file a PIL in connection with the Silkyara tunnel tragedy.
