Educate, empathise for an egalitarian society

‘Men don’t cry’, ‘girls should not mix up with boys’, ‘this game is only for girls’, ‘men should earn the livelihood’, women should take care of the household activities’. Our society has preconceived roles for both genders. Gender inequality begins at home only. We may admit or not, we keep partial attitude towards girl child as compared to a boy. The societal parameters of discriminating between a boy and a girl have to be done away with. It becomes our duty to sensitise our children regarding gender inequality.  Moreover, charity begins at home. So, parents should teach their children that there is no specific task meant for men or only for women. Teach children to respect each others irrespective of the gender. The Right to Education Act 2009 as well as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has rightly mentioned gender as one of the goals of elementary education in Indi

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi

Begin from grassroots

It is high time that we spread awareness about the challenges faced by girls in the country. Right from childhood, children should be sensitised to respect women. School teachers and parents should be trained, not only to conduct regular personality building and skill-enhancing exercises, but also to keep a watch on the actual behavioural patterns of the children.  

Aashima Arora

Kit on gender sensitivity

Our education system needs to be gender sensitive and gender friendly. Schools can play an important role in inculcating gender sensitivity in etiquettes and manners of students. The Right to Education Act (2009), has clearly mentioned that gender equality is one of the expected outcomes of elementary education in the country. With the growing concern over the lack of gender sensitisation among youth, the CBSE has developed 'a kit on gender sensitivity' for teachers to enable them to ensure unbiased participation of both boys and girls in the learning process. 

Shubhangi

True purpose of education

Education is the key element to fight male-dominated scenario in the society and to bring gender equality. Boys and girls start developing their gender identities right from birth. Both the genders are segregated right from the childhood. Even there are some etiquettes and manners that are applied separately for both the genders. Schools need to address unhealthy gender biasedness through the process of schooling.  

Kriti Khosla

Stop stereotyping

The need for gender sensitisation has always been felt in the past, but in the present scenario, where stark gender roles, overt gender discrimination and denigrating women has been ingrained into our daily lives, it has become more important for educational institutions to make it mandatory. Our education system has to be gender friendly and gender sensitive. Implementing curriculums on gender sensitisation is very important to recognise the importance of two sexes (male and female) as well as to change the stereotype mindset in men that women are weak and unequal. Schools, colleges and universities should lay stress on inculcating values of equality, inclusivity and diversity. Moreover, educational institutions must strive to create an environment in which both men and women can learn to think critically and solve challenging problems. In nutshell, gender sensitisation is by far the most effective and non-confrontationist approach of reforming the society, a pillar to sustainable development that requires explicit commitment, more systematic, well planned and more professional approach to make it mandatory in educational institutions.

Ravi Chander Garg 

Set up a redressal bench as part of curriculum

Gender sensitisation must be considered one of the important issues of the course curriculum not only at school level but also at colleges and universities. Students must be made aware of the issues and problems. Teachers and professors at each stage, must share their views about gender equality and other related issues by organising seminars and debates. Schools and colleges must form clubs and societies which may deal with gender sensitising issues. Students must share their personal incidents with each others. A gender sensitisation cell is not synonymous with women issues or women development cell. These clubs should serve as a fundamental platform for all the sexes to discuss problems and come up with solutions. Courses should cover various topics on culture, tradition, arts, moral principles having a compulsory gender course. There must be a redressal bench, which may enable students to speak up, to spread awareness regarding the issue among their peers. 

Farzana Khan

Respect the gender, be the change 

The future of our country depends upon the young generation.As a school is the foundational block of every child's life ,they must be taught to respect the gender. Gender sensitisation should be implemented in schools  to teach the young generation that both boys and girls are capable of doing any work. If we want a society devoid of gender discrimination and violence against women ,there is need of gender sensitization.There is a need of  promoting gender equality through different events like seminars, debates and so on by providing the boys and girls a platform to express themselves .Do your best  to move towards a society of equality

MANMOHAN KAUR 

Establish a cell to address sensitive issues

Gender sensitisation refers to the modification of behavior by raising awareness of gender awareness equality concerns. This is a very serious cause of concern and must be a part of course curriculum in schools, colleges and universities. Gender sensitisation can be promoted through various activities such as debates, seminars, conferences, discussions and through theatrical performances. This will help the students to question what is wrong. Each institute should establish a gender sensitising cell, where both boys and girls, under the supervision of teacher may discuss various issues related with them and may reach on single or multiple solutions.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui 

Create equal space for both genders

Gender sensitisation should be made mandatory in educational institutions as they can play an important role in inculcating gender sensitivity in etiquettes and manners of students. It is necessary to create gender-responsive institutions in which the academic, social and physical environment and its surrounding community take into account the specific needs of girls and boys. A detailed action plan with a definite road map is required in the institution's curriculum to achieve gender equality.

Kritika Bhalla

Make it a part of elementary education

The Right to Education Act 2009 and it's operating arm, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, has clearly mentioned that gender equality is one of the expected outcomes of elementary education in our country. It should be very much important, especially in a patriarchal country like India, for children to be aware of gender sensitisation because it is essential for building a healthy society. 

Harshpreet Kaur  

Don't let children internalise sexist attitudes

Children start believing what they see or hear. So starting early is the only way out. Teachers and parents should be trained, not only to conduct regular personality-building and skill-enhancing exercises, but also to keep a watch on the actual behavioural patterns of the children so as to make them gender sensitised. Teach them humanity before anything else.

Simranjeet Kaur

Create an inclusive environment

Gender sensitisation should be made mandatory in the educational institutions. It is the need of the hour to understand the sensitive need of a particular gender. It can be done through debate, discussions, seminars and other performances. Both male and female should be encouraged to be class leaders. Give equal opportunity to both boys and girls. 

Harsh Kaur 

Teachers should be free of bias too

Gender sensitisation should be considered mandatory in educational institutions. But to sensitise children, teachers need to be free of bias too. They need a thorough check of their attitudes and mindsets. They knowingly or unknowingly show gender insensitivity. School counsellors work with the students who struggle with gender- based bullying and gender- identity issues. But there is a lot that needs to be understood and a lot more needs to be done to make gender sensitivity programmes successful in schools. A community of students, parents, teachers and support staff play a pivotal role in enabling a gender- neutral system. Change once we accept the complex layers of gender sensitisation.

Devna Munjal  

Acknowledge the difference

It is very important to make gender sensitisation mandatory in all the educational institutions. Students should be taught to respect everyone irrespective of their gender. Also, parents and teachers should not discriminate between boys and girls. There are many stereotypes prevailing in our society regarding gender. People think these stereotypes to be true and act accordingly. Although, Article 14-16 of the Indian Constitution provides no discrimination on basis of sex, equality before law, equality of opportunity but the fact is that our society works more according to the prevailing norms in the society. Hence, gender sensitisation should be made mandatory to create gender equality, while acknowledging the differences created by God. 

Pallavi Bajaj 

Catch them young  

Gender sensitising is about changing behavior and instilling empathy among both the genders. I believe that schooling is a process through which society creates the kind of individuals we wish to see in the world. It's imperative that school curriculum lays strong emphasis on inculcating values of equality among people. The change must begin from a young age. Young minds can be easily moulded. It is imperative to end discrimination in the society. If we want a society to be devoid of discrimination, boys and girls should not be treated as inferior. Everyone should do his bit towards a more equal and inclusive society.  

Sanskriti Verma

Simplify gender roles in a patriarchal country 

In a patriarchal country like India, where stark gender roles, overt gender discrimination and denigration of women and girls is ingrained into our daily lives, 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 must begin from a young age.

Jasmine Kaur Bajaj 

Make students aware  

Teachers should change their behaviour towards the students at school. Debates and workshops should be organised in which each gender should symbolise the other and talk good about each other. They should be taught empathy. Students should realize that male and female if work together can make world a better place. Seminars, workshops, lectures, debates and various other activities should be organised to make students aware about this phenomenon.

Ekroop Kaur

Education to go a long way

The true purpose of education is to create the kind of individuals we wish to see in the world, based on values of equality inclusivity and diversity, all of which are essential for building a healthy society. The 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. Boys are encouraged to participate in motor activities while girls are asked to participate in more quieter activities. Only when both the boys and girls learn to question this typical gender bias at the school level, will the situation change. We lack in providing a safe society to women. If boys are taught to understand how an egalitarian society is beneficial to all by questioning gender norms, only then will boys learn to treat women as equals. 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.

Karanpreet Kaur

Train young minds 

We live in the 21st century, but gender inequality is still one of the biggest setbacks in our society. In order to eradicate this shortcoming, it is really necessary to educate our children and youth to respect everyone irrespective of their gender while accepting the differences. Therefore, gender sensitisation should be made mandatory in educational institutions and can be achieved by conducting awareness campaigns, training programmes and workshops.

Tanya Bajaj

Tackle it at young age 

Educational institutions must be insisted to give due importance to gender sensitisation as these are the places where individuals we want to see in the world are created. In order to avoid gender bias, it's extremely important to identify and address the problem at a very young age. Upbringing at home also influences boys and girls. We need clear directives to understand and address gender norms through educational institutions.

Rajni Matta

Nurture gender sensitivity 

As a part of the teaching curriculum, moral education and gender sensitisation must be inculcated in all students and teachers. They should be made sensitive to handle situations such as menstruation in girls, puberty and sexual issues in both the sexes. The staff should have a separate male and female counselor for boys and girls

Dr Ashwani K Malhotra

Unbiased participation of genders  

Education creates future individuals. It has become necessary to address the issue of gender discrimination. So, we need to be sensitive towards various genders which can be done through education that we get rid of this patriarchal thinking at a young age which means that the educational institutions needs to impart knowledge and create awareness regarding the same among the youth. It's time we break this stereotype

Shivani Aggarwal

Egalitarian roles need of the hour 

Gender sensitisation is all about being unbiased towards any gender. It is to provide equal opportunities to each gender for their equal development in the society. The society should not condition the minds of the children to differentiate between boys and girls. When a boy tells his parents that he wants to be a chef when he grows up, his decision is not being supported because usually the ideology is such that men should take up jobs like