How Football Changed the Lives of 600 young girls: Yuwa

A class that plays together, learns together. It is a tried and tested technique recommended by Franz Gastler. His NGO, Yuwa, is based in Jharkhand and is a platform that uses sports as a crucial catalyst to put the future of girls in their own hands through education. He talks about how sports changed the lives of several young girls in Jharkhand.

Fact: Six out of ten girls drop out of school and become child brides in rural Jharkhand. (UNICEF)

Yuwa was established back in 2009 with the aim of using scholarship programs for gifted students in Government schools to combat child marriage and human trafficking in these areas, and to lower the dropout rate from schools. The focus changed to sports gradually. In fact, the football coaching program was spurred by an interest expressed by a few girls from these Government schools.

Especially in regions and cultures where sports takes a backseat, particularly for girls, here we see an extraordinary instance of how sports has completely transformed the lives of over a hundred young girls.

Girls more keen on football than boys?

In spite of not being a professional Football coach, I felt that it can be a great team building activity and can pique their interest about being in school. Initially, I tried incorporating the football program for both, girls and boys — but the boys were inconsistent in their attendance and wouldn’t commit to coming to practices.

The girls, however, showed outstanding work ethic and dedication. In the village, girls are expected to spend all their time in the service of their families - not going to school, not studying, and certainly not having fun, or playing sports. Today, Yuwa stands as one of the largest football programs especially to cater to girls in India. It stands strong with 300 players, with almost all players practicing daily.

Making girls well rounded performers - from school to the field

I saw the need for a second family for girls, to give them the support and encouragement that is necessary for their development. When I established Yuwa, my goal was not just to delay marriage, but to enable girls to break out of the cycle of poverty and make powerful decisions about their future.

I am glad that we were able to help the situation to a great extent. Through the positive peer pressure created by daily team practices, girls started going to school every day, taking an interest in their own education, and motivating one another to do the same. Before joining, they were shy, and quiet. After months of daily practice and affirmation in a positive social network, they became confident, bold football players who weren’t afraid to introduce themselves to strangers.

After a year, it was obvious that football teams had the potential to be an effective platform for empowering young women. Ironically, the girls that were originally selected for the Yuwa scholarship to a private school were not responding positively to the program — they were still missing 40-50 days of school each year. These girls would only drop by Yuwa once a month to collect their school fees. In contrast, the girls playing football would come by to study every single day. It was thus evident that the girls receiving the scholarships lacked the positive social support and motivation that was being provided by the Yuwa girls’ football teams.

Tackling poverty, abuse and creating a positive childhood through Sports

Through tight-knit, regular classes and football sessions, Yuwa has created an atmosphere where positive peer pressure and accountability has had a direct influence in the form of attendance in higher classes and lesser probabilities of a girl being pulled out of school.

The success of our program thus far has proven that sports can work wonders if implemented as a part of a child’s education. Sports can be a big boost for the enthusiasm level of children and regular sports lessons in schools can improve their attendance as well.

If this is the difference sports has made in the lives of a few girls in this village, imagine the difference it can make to children across the country. If sports becomes a larger part of the school curriculum, we will see the fostering of a sports culture that encourages more participation from all stakeholders.

Sports is an underrated tool that can improve the lives of future generation, and improve the status of our country as a whole. To make this dream a reality, I urge you to sign the petition to make sports a compulsory subject in schools.

Join Tata Tea’s initiative and sign the petition by clicking on this link -- or by calling 7815966666 toll free.

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WANT TO CURB CRIMES COMMITTED BY JUVENILES AGAINST WOMEN? GENDER SENSITIZATION IS THE KEY

Crimes against women committed by juveniles is at an all-time high. The evidence is everywhere and spread across all parts of the country, be it rural or urban.

This alarming increase in the number of such juvenile crimes and the gruesomeness of the same propelled the Supreme Court to rethink on the differentiation in quantum of punishment between juveniles and adult offenders in the case of serious crimes. Amidst differing opinions and raging debates, the Court and the Parliament finally took a strong stance and enacted the amendment in juvenile law which allows children between 16 and 18 to be tried as adults depending on the severity of their crimes.

The question that plagues us is what actually causes these minors to be so insensitive and inhuman to commit such terrible crimes at such a young age. There’s an argument that children without family guidance are more likely to take to crime but statistics say otherwise. In Tamil Nadu alone, 95% of the juvenile delinquents in 2013 used to live with their parents. The reasons are actually many but one major cause can be attributed to the lack of gender sensitization from an early stage in life.

Gender Sensitization is a small but necessary step to the gradual eradication of gender biases and to reduce cases of abuse and harassment across the country. When a boy is nurtured with such values along with empathy and compassion, it contributes to shaping up their mindsets in a very different manner. What actually needs to change is their outlook towards women, their false sense of superiority on account of being born as a male member of society, their sense of entitlement and the belief that they enjoy the prerogative of assaulting women if they don’t respond positively to their overtures. What needs to be ingrained in them from a very early age itself is that they should respect women as fellow human beings instead of objectifying them and considering them as the weaker sex. Only then will eve-teasing be perceived as a crime rather than an element of fun!

We need to make sure that everything that our children are exposed to, condemn gender bias and promote gender sensitisation. We have managed to penetrate the remotest areas of our country with education, and it’s time we urge the authorities to implement gender sensitisation in education right away, because for our children, the clock is ticking.

Join Tata Tea’s initiative and sign the petition for making gender sensitisation programmes compulsory in school curriculum by clicking on this link by calling 7815966666 toll free.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!

The growing menace of Child Abuse and how can we put an end to it

How serious is the issue?

We are no stranger to shocking cases of child sexual abuse being reported across news channels and newspapers almost every other day.

Image Credit: Indian Express

As per the data compiled by NCRB (National Criminal Record Bureau), 8,800 cases of rapes on children were registered across the country under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) in 2015. In quite a few cases, the offenders themselves are minors in the age bracket of 12 to 18. In order to help the victims and to prevent children from becoming perpetrators of such a heinous crime, it is imperative to openly discuss the issue and explain the seriousness of the same to them. To quote a spokesperson for Mumbai Police in his interview to Mumbai Mirror, "It's a serious issue, especially the increasing rate of rape cases involving children below 12 years of age. We are conducting awareness drives in densely populated areas of the city and holding workshops in schools too." Such workshops are centered around comprehensive sexual education and awareness about what constitutes as sexual abuse are an integral part of gender sensitising programs. For the fight to be successful, this awareness and support drive needs to reach out to each and every child in every part of the country.

Why do most victims suffer silently?

An article on the Unicef website states, "According to a just-released 13-state National Study on Child Sexual Abuse commissioned by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and conducted by Prayas, UNICEF and Save The Children, abuse is a startling everyday reality for as many as half of the country’s children. The report states that more than 53% of children in India are subjected to sexual abuse, but most don’t report the assaults to anyone.”

But why is it that the majority of such cases go unreported? In a lot of situations, it is due to the fear of the assaulter that children don’t speak out. However, other major factors can be attributed to the stigma associated with it in society and the lack of awareness as to what sexual abuse and sexual harassment actually is.

Many a young women and men have come forward to narrate their horrifying tales and have also added that as a child, they had hardly realised what was actually happening to them. It is only at puberty, during adolescence or as an adult that that they realised what their neighbour/ relatives/ strangers had inflicted upon them! In certain cases, the abuse continued for years altogether without the victim realising what they are being subjected to!

The repercussions reach far and wide

As per studies conducted by experts and psychologists, it has been seen that victims of child abuse later go on to becoming sexual offenders themselves since they harbour a wrong notion about sexuality and are not counselled in the proper way. Clearly, the importance of curbing this evil for the sake of keeping our women safe cannot be stressed enough.

Tackling the issue nationwide, one school at a time through gender sensitisation initiatives

The first and foremost thing that is addressed as a part of such gender sensitisation programmes is the awareness about such issues and how to distinguish between a bad touch and a good touch. Only when a child realises they he or she is being abused can they speak up for themselves and put a stop to the same. Gender sensitisation also aims at eradicating the taboo about the subject thereby encouraging the victims to be vocal about the abuse.

The study published on UNICEF’s website also states “Even when the problem gets identified, lack of social awareness on the gravity of the issue and ways to deal with it makes it difficult to ensure any kind of support to the victimized child.”

This very lack of social awareness can be tackled through the gender sensitisation workshops. When such workshops are held in schools, they reach out to both, students and teachers alike. While students will be made more aware about the evil and encouraged to report the same, similarly teachers will also be trained to identify abused victims and thus help them. They will be encouraged to have a more open mind and be more empathetic to the same. Essentially, the programs work towards ensuring that the teachers are considered more approachable by the students so that they have someone to confide in about the abuse.

deal with. If you are as perturbed by the appallingly high numbers and the nature of the offenses as we are, then this is your chance to act against it. Together, let us carve a better society for our children!

Join Tata Tea’s initiative and sign the petition for making gender sensitisation programmes compulsory in school curriculum by clicking on this link by calling 7815966666 toll free.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!

Source:

HuffPost,Indian Express

Why is Gender sensitization necessary at the school level?

The true purpose of education

I believe that education or schooling is a process through which society creates the kind of individuals we wish to see in the world. Hence, it’s imperative that school curriculum lays strong emphasis on inculcating values of equality, inclusivity and diversity, all of which are essential for building a healthy society.

Change must begin from a young age

In a patriarchal country like India, where stark gender roles, overt gender discrimination and devaluation of women and girls is ingrained into our daily lives, I feel that it is extremely important to identify and address this problem from a very young age. Boys and girls start developing their gendered identities from birth. The upbringing at home also influences them. While egalitarian gender roles may not be present at home, the school can become a space of transformation where children, especially those hailing from disadvantaged backgrounds, learn to question gender roles, identify areas of gendered discrimination, and work towards changing them.

Change has to start from the grassroots

In many families, in both rural and urban areas, while boys are encouraged to study and have a career, girls are taught to concentrate on household chores. Only when both boys and girls learn to question this typical gender bias at school, will the situation at home also change for the better.

The different geographical and cultural contexts I have had the opportunity to work in has taught me that gender roles and inequalities are very contextual, and rooted in cultural and social practices. Thus, to have a national policy addressing gender equality is not sufficient. At a more local level, we need clear directives to understand and address specific gender norms through the schooling process.

In spite of our efforts towards providing education to a girl child, where exactly are we lacking?

For the longest time, we have been working on bringing girls to school and ensuring that they complete their schooling. We assume that schooling and academic ability will empower a girl through financial and social independence. Why then, do we still have a society where women and girls fear for their safety and well-being, and are considered ‘burdens’ on their families? We may have been able to bring women to the forefront, but without addressing and challenging gender norms at a nascent stage of social development, we cannot hope to work towards a society where women and girls feel safe and valued.

Imperative to this process is the need to working with boys. From a young age, i.e. through schooling itself, if boys are taught to understand how an egalitarian society is beneficial for all by questioning gender norms, only then will boys learn to treat women as equals. Thus education can play a critical role in making the society safer for women, and that can happen by making gender sensitisation a part of the school curriculum.

If the Government policy also outlines the importance of gender sensitisation, why shouldn’t it be made mandatory?

The importance of gender sensitisation in schools has been recognized and given due importance in all policy outlining quality education. The Right to Education Act 2009, and its operating arm, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, has clearly mentioned that gender equality is one of the expected outcomes of elementary education in the country. Schools need to address unequal gender roles at a critical stage, when children are growing up. Shouldn’t we insist that schools give due importance to gender sensitization and ensure that it is very much a part of our children’s schooling process?

If you want to see a society devoid of discrimination, one where women and girls are not treated as inferior, and where equal opportunities and rights are given to all women, then I urge you to sign this petition, emphasize on the importance of gender sensitization and do your part to ensure that over time, we move towards a more equal and inclusive society.

Join Tata Tea’s movement to make gender sensitisation programmes compulsory in schools. Sign the petition by clicking here or by calling 7815966666 toll free.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!

Why students, teachers & the school management need gender sensitisation

1997 - “These things tend to happen in girls’ colleges, leave it…”

Back when I was studying in college, a girl was molested by her Physics teacher. We went to our class teacher to seek her help in the matter. She advised us thus, “Girls, these things happen in women’s colleges; just leave it.” Even a suicide attempt by the girl did not compel the management to empathise with her. Eventually, she changed her college.

2017 – Dressing modern doesn’t make up for backward attitudes. Mentality is still dangerous

Now that I am a teacher, I can see that things are very different from what they used to be. A boy in my school likes to colour his hair a different colour each week, while a girl is fancily dressed up for the school prom. But here’s the thing; just because young adults wear modern clothes, it doesn’t imply that their thinking or attitude is forward or progressive.

Largely, the mentality across schools is still so regressive and dangerous. Children can be hurtful and insensitive, bordering on violence. Moreover, in a digital world, they feel powerful by shaming others behind an anonymous facade on their computer screens. Slanderous words are carelessly thrown around as responses on social networking platforms when a girl expresses ‘strong’ views, often by her boys known to her, perhaps from her own class or school.

To gender sensitise children, teachers need to be free of bias too

It’s not just the children, but teachers themselves that need to go undergo a thorough check of their attitudes and mindsets. Often, teachers too, fall back on older, more familiar patterns of thinking, knowingly and unknowingly show gender insensitivity. A teacher tells a group of boys to be wary of girls who may accuse them of rape if they both had an argument on a social networking platform. Another teacher pulls up a girl for showing ‘too much skin’, when she rolls up the shorts of her sports uniform on field. If a boy does the same thing, it’s ignored.

Change needs to start from schools - the onus is on the whole community around the schools

School counsellors work with students who struggle with gender-based bullying, gender identity issues, gender-based favouritism at home and gender-based pressures to fit in socially. There is a lot that needs to be understood and a lot more that needs to be done to make gender sensitivity programmes successful in schools.

A lot of conditioning and stereotyping comes from teachers themselves. This has to stop. Genderbased bullying, online or offline, has to stop.

A school community is a community of students, parents, teachers, administrators and support staff. Everyone has a part to play in enabling a gender-sensitive and gender-equal system. Change will occur when old attitudes held by us the adults, change, and we become accepting of the many complex layers of gender sensitization.

This is why I am of the utmost belief that gender sensitisation is a non-negotiable need of the hour. It’s high time that we make gender sensitisation mandatory across schools in India.

Do take a look at Tata Tea’s petition, and act today, to transform our young minds and the future of the country.

Join Tata Tea’s movement to make gender sensitisation programmes compulsory in schools. Sign the petition by clicking here or by calling 7815966666 toll free.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!

CATCH THEM YOUNG - Gender Sensitising Kids with the Power of Theatre

Every time we bring up gender sensitisation - a common concern in our society echoes - do we need to teach our children about gender biases and ways to overcome them? Or are they too young to understand sensitive issues? Often Indian parents, when asked about the need for gender sensitisation in schools, feel that gender sensitisation could expose their children to things that we consider “vulgar” or “inappropriate”.

This shows that we as a society fail to understand gender sensitisation. Gender sensitisation is about teaching the children that their gender does not define them or who they should be. While most of us struggle to understand or grasp the importance of gender sensitisation, there are a few everyday heroes who have dedicated their lives to ensuring gender sensitisation for all through various methods.

Mishti Verma Thapar is the founder of YINDIA, a forum that uses theatre to address gender sensitisation issues. Here’s her pre-activist story.

Over the last decade, I have been working with women and children across the country on sensitive issues of gender and self-empowerment, using theatre as a medium. Let me share some experiences.

Working with Children:

A 10-year-old girl we worked with, was facing bullying and harassment from her older male peers. We used theatre and held personal mentoring sessions to build resilience and confidence in her. We helped her understand that she could and should do something about her situation, and that it is her right to do so. I believe this is something one must do from a tender age to all children alike.

At CLAP (Creative Learning Arts and Performance), we hold workshops and mentoring sessions for children. Catch Them Young is one of our programmes that literally 'catches' hold of young minds to sensitise and empower them about several issues.

We need to catch them young, because irrespective of their age, children face several issues relating to physical appearances, peer pressure complexes, intellectual complexes, etc. These are all issues that spill over into adulthood, which if left unchecked, can result in disaster. The crimes we see today are a result of psycho-social attitudes in our society.

A person is not born a criminal, circumstances turn him/her into one.

Importance of Gender Sensitisation in our society today

I cannot stress on it enough. It is essential because our already patriarchal society is rooted in bias and archaic, regressive practices. Regardless of class, creed or education, I have seen so many instances of working women facing such biases. We teach them to strengthen their own sense of identity, femininity, and power.

It also goes without saying that the media plays a large role - where we continue to objectify women. They have a powerful influence on everyone, including young minds. We need to shift the roles of women and men both, along with their portrayal even in the media; but before that, we need to teach that objectification of women (or men) is neither right, nor acceptable.

We need to remove the bias of gender, and create safer, more respectful and healthy spaces for all genders. That can only come through gender sensitisation, and the best way to achieve this is to literally catch them young.

We cannot hope for a society that is equal and progressive, unless we make sure that our children are exposed to gender sensitisation. As a society, it is our duty to make sure that our children are protected against anything that could turn them into victims or perpetrators of gender crimes. Unless we act today, we will see ourselves thronging the streets, seeking punishment for another juvenile involved in a heinous crime.

This movement by Tata Tea Jaago Re to make gender sensitisation a well-balanced programme that’s accessible to children in schools, could be the turning point in making our society inclusive and safe. Join Tata Tea’s petition, be a part of the change.

Sign Tata Tea’s petition for making gender sensitization compulsory in the school curriculum to pave the way for a better tomorrow. Click on Link or call 7815966666 toll free.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!

Why Women too Need Gender Sensitisation

The long-drawn movement for women's rights has been fighting to bring women and men on an equal footing in society.

However, the perception that women are oppressed and exploited by men alone is not true. Patriarchy is so seeped into the system that often, some women vehemently act as espousers of patriarchy and misogyny. The ideology of patriarchy has been so deep-rooted that every part of the system works together to maintain this power structure. There are women who can’t break out of it. On the other hand, there are women who have ingrained patriarchy upto a dangerous extent that they will do anything, in extreme cases, kill another –just to uphold self-righteous 'principles' (read: honour killing).

How gender sensitive are our women? Here are some severe ways in which women contribute to their own suffering:

Forced by another woman, a woman aborts a girl child

This is common knowledge in India. The number of instances where not just men, but women who make the daughter/daughter-in-law in their family abort a girl child is unusually high. The innate bias towards a girl child only breeds the prejudice and misogyny towards women in India, and it's worse when women are the perpetrators.

Killing your child to save the "honour"

The recent case of honour killing of a young woman in Delhi by her parents for marrying a man outside her community shocked the country. However, it's certainly not an isolated case. These so-called 'values' are so deep-rooted that even children are not spared. Participating in such crimes further reveals our twisted sense of 'values and honour' that is inbred in our society.

Women guilty of torturing, or killing women for 'dahej' or dowry

According to an IBN report one woman dies every hour due to dowry-related reasons. Over 8,000 women were killed in India in 2012 for dowry.

Even in the 'modern age', at a time when dowry is illegal, such cases refuse to die down. We are following this tradition at the cost of abuse of thousands of women, and even murders of many more. Women have also been guilty of subscribing to these demeaning traditions. Instead of recognising these inhuman practices and banishing them, we still have thousands of families, including women staunchly espousing them.

Everyday instances where women make women the weaker sex

Many of us shrug and think of such extreme cases as the ones we read about in the news, not as something that would happen to "us". Yet the fact is these crimes are an inseparable part of our culture – they are born out of our culture.

You will notice everyday instances where women are allowing abuse, subjugation and offence; as subtle as it may seem.

"You're a girl, you don't need to work, you should be at home": Mother

When a society tries to shut out opportunities for you, because of your gender it sure is discrimination. When your own mother ascribes to the bias and proclaims it as "tradition", where does the girl go? We have to let a woman learn to be financially independent, instead of readying her simply for her "marriage". We cannot deprive her of her freedom to step out of the house and imprison her life and dreams – so she stays in her parents or her husband’s house.

Character assassination

Often, set roles are laid down by society of what a "good woman" should be like. Demure, soft-spoken, adorned in salwar kameez, home before dark etc. are some traits of the "good woman". Anybody who breaks out of this stereotype is usually looked at with disdain. Men and women often indulge in defaming such a woman – be it relatives, neighbours or the ‘society’ at large. It's time we learn not to scorn when women make independent choices for themselves.

Ofcourse, the media plays a big role in perpetuating this norm. The "good woman" is the sari-clad, super chef, self-sacrificial mother at home, and the "evil woman" is the outspoken skirt sporting siren. They haven't even masked this ridiculous stereotype and the audiences have willfully accepted it as real life models to go by.

Many over-the-top cases of moral policing we see today, also stem from such attitudes.

Tolerating objectification of women and idolising it

Our media may be guilty of this, but impressionable girls and women are also guilty of placing such women on a pedestal. Even when we have amazing role models like Mary Kom, Kalpana Chawla or Arundhati Roy, the idea of "beauty" is only limited to those who have an itsy bitsy waist, clear and flawless skin and an idealistic anatomy. Who decides what is "beauty"? Why are supermodels used to sell products that have no connection with them? Why are we (both, men and women) falling prey to such unrealistic standards of beauty?

Men and women, both have to learn that a woman is more than her skin, her figure or her looks. Women can start taking the onus, and men should embrace it.

Tolerating sexism and rape 'jokes'; not calling it out

'Rape culture' is being talked about widely. Often we are silent when offensive "jokes" are passed around. When a woman stands up for herself, she is also standing up for other women. Only when we call it out and draw the line between humour and sexism, is when the rape culture will start to recede.

Women should be allies, and not competitors

It’s high time women recognize each other as allies, support each other and embrace the power of their feminity. Several women (and men) have been fighting to make gender equality a reality for all women in India. Instead of supporting them, when we project misogynistic attitudes, it only puts their work ten steps behind. Identifying the root of patriarchy in day-to-day life is a start. At a time when crimes against women are at an all-time high, we need to transform our society in every way so that we give way for a country that is safer, more gender neutral and respectful to all genders.

Why we Need to Gender Sensitise our Women from an Early Age

Unless we gender sensitise girls from a very young age, this vicious cycle is only going to continue for the longest time. We have to put an end to it. And gender sensitising girls from a young age itself will be the answer for it.

Join Tata Tea’s movement to make gender sensitisation programmes compulsory in schools. Sign the petition by clicking clicking on this link or by calling 7815966666 toll free.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!

How we Normalise Gender Bias in India

There is a very distinct difference between sex and gender. The former refers to the biological makeup of a person and the latter is the social distinction between how a man and a woman is supposed to “conform to society.” A lot of issues relating to safety for women and men arise from this.

For example, it’s not wrong for boys to cry or for girls to be tough but we still find ourselves saying things that prejudice against genders. How many times have you said the following statements without realising its implications:-

Can Gender Sensitisation from an Early Age Reverse this?

The sexist comments we hear so often are part of a vicious cycle that sustains and perpetuates gender bias in our society. We cannot completely eliminate it overnight, but we can take conscious steps and change the way we say (and see) things. What we say has and will have a positive or negative impact on those around us, especially our children. By gender biasing in our day to day life, we are inculcating the same in our children, which, as we see from examples in our society, may lead to negative actions.

Make Gender Sensitisation Compulsory right from the Schools

If gender sensitisation is taught early on, it can lead to a complete make-over of the way our society functions. We can finally live in healthy, respectful environments that have equal space and opportunities for all genders. And finally bid goodbye to regressive and dangerous attitudes pervading among us. Both boys and girls should be taught early on how to treat the other ‘sex’ and not let age-old conditioning affect them.

Join Tata Tea’s movement to make gender sensitisation programmes compulsory in schools. Sign the petition by clicking clicking on this link or by calling 7815966666 toll free.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!

Gender Sensitisation in India: Where Do We start?

We often don't realise how the most common and seemingly innocent comments and actions send a strong message to kids that men and women are not equal. This mindset is what spurs so many instances of crimes like rapes and domestic abuse against women. The need of the hour is to raise our voice collectively as a progressive society and work towards building a safer society for women.

Here's a video that talks about the threat to women's safety in our society, and the possible ways in which we can overcome this. Join us and be torchbearers of the movement.

To make sure our children grow up as gender sensitive individuals, we must start by practising and teaching gender sensitisation at home. But, to bring about a holistic change in the society, we must ensure that our children receive a gender sensitive education too. Only then will our society be free from gender-based violence.

Join the Tata Tea movement and sign the petition to make gender sensitisation programmes compulsory in schools.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!

How we pass on Gender Biases to our Kids

How often have we heard people say, "Ladki se haar gaya?"

When we raise our children with such biases, we create gender-based societies. A biased society objectifies genders and promotes gender-based violence, especially against women. Is this how we want to raise our kids?

Here's a small example that is common across India, which shows how we knowingly or unknowingly teach our children to be gender-biased.

There is a huge outcry against women-related crimes in India today. However, if we are not paying attention to the fault lines pervading our culture and social environment, and if we don't not take steps to mend our ways, our situation is only going to get worse.

The video below is just a reminder of our own biases reflecting back at us, and the dangers of our own biases attitudes being picked up by young minds.

Change must begin from us, and as families are the most basic unit of a society, we must begin gender sensitisation from our homes.

Here are 5 things that we all can do to start practising Gender Sensitivity at home, and help build a society that treats and respects all gender equally.

1. Start by making our language free of gender bias

Refrain from using gender-specific statements like, “boys will be boys”, "don’t be such a girl" or "man-up".

2. Change the way we look at gender roles

Every day, encourage yourself and your child to do one task that is not associated with your genders.

3. Change the age-old gender constructs that compartmentalise people

Tell them that boys too can cry, and teach girls how to defend themselves

4. Break free from gender-based social expectations

Tell them that both men and women are strong and independent. Show them role models of both genders and help them see that greatness does not depend on genders.

5. Raise children to be independent, irrespective of their genders

Teach both boys and girls to cook, clean and look after themselves

6. Stand up for gender justice

Be intolerant against gender-based harassment and crimes, and show them the importance of standing up for others

Inequality gets learnt. Equality needs teaching.

Unknowingly, children are being taught gender inequality. Let's PREACT to reverse this. We don't have to fall back in the trap of gender-related menaces and crimes. Work now to make our country safer for our children.

Only when children are gender sensitised from an early age, will it reflect back in our society. Gender sensitisation right from the schools is a correct step in this direction.

Join Tata Tea’s movement to make gender sensitisation programmes compulsory in schools. Sign the petition by clicking here or by calling 7815966666 toll free.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!