Debunking gender roles and stereotypes with the students of Government School

 “Don’t start crying for everything. Mummy, papa, neighbors and relatives keep reminding me from time to time that I am not supposed to cry because I am a boy. What I don’t understand is what I am supposed when someone hurts me or if I feel bad”

The session on gender is one of the most crucial aspects of our adolescent program which is heavily participative and activity based. Due to COVID-19, the session on gender had to be re imagined, rethought and designed from the very beginning. It took us a while to create an online version of gender session so that it retains its personal connect, participative and activity based nature.

The workshop began with two step photo activity wherein we explored the common notions of gender roles and responsibility; difference between sex and gender and how any work can be done by anyone irrespective of their gender identity as against what we see mostly around us.

This was followed by inviting the participants to share the messages they have received because they are a boy or girl –

“Boys get more freedom, they don’t have to ask for permission for doing things like playing games or going out”

“There is no restriction on us to study. In fact we are told to study hard so that we can earn money for our family by getting a good job”

“We are made to do lot of work, lifting heavy things, getting things from shops.”

“We are told different things at home, like I see women working in different places, men working as chef in hotels etc.”

Weaving story in form of presentation with pictures and questions was an interesting way to co-create gender story. Taking cues from the key messages, photo activity and gender story, we created a discourse on what gender is? How it affects our strength and capabilities and what could we do to debunk gender stereotypes and judgments. One of the important conversation was on STEM subjects and how girls are said to be not good in math and they should preferably take lighter subjects! To debunk this myth, we shared a real life narrative of the student who got less marks in Math but when she started working hard, got help passed with flying colors. Unfortunately when you are told again and again that you are not good enough or girls can’t do this etc. for prolonged time, they internalize it and it affects their ability.

This also led to one more important discussion on education and employment. So., girls are motivated to study arts or home sciences more because they would be married soon so they don’t have to go for higher studies or engage in competitive world of jobs. While boys have to study subjects like science and mathematics so that they can get high paying jobs, survive competitive world and earn money for their family.  

Another important conversation on ‘Women cook food at home while chefs are mostly men?’ A very important question asked by one of the participants. We took this opportunity to explain gender dynamics and social construct around job, so cooking is supposed to be women’s job at home and it is not paid but because it’s a paying job at hotel then it’s done by men! Secondly in hotels and restaurants, it is important to observe and understand which job is given to men and which one is assigned to women and you can actually see how that is also gendered. The participants were able to see through this tangled mesh of gender that leads to complicated assumptions, judgments, stereotypes and discrimination based on gender identity. 

In the last part of the workshop, we dwelled upon the gender difference that we observe in our homes and schools.

‘Women engage in household chores like cooking food, washing clothes, cleaning home and taking care of needs of family members’

‘Men are responsible for earning money’

‘Boys don’t have to do household chores, they have fun’

‘Girls are bound to home because they have to help their mothers for household chores’

‘School teachers are mostly men’

‘Punishment is very strict for boys’

‘Boys have to be strong so that they can do lifting work both at school and at home’

We were thrilled with the participation of the students. These young kids are engaging in the workshops for the first time and experience of using zoom application is new to them but the way they are engaging, asking questions, responding to the activities and interacting has infused so much energy in us!