Gender Sensitization

Report

Date-3^rd August, 2019

Activity-Session on Gender Sensitization and Movie screening

Resource person-Ms Chanda Asani

Organised by:-Centre for Women’s Studies ,Women’s Cell and the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson had acknowledged the fact that all human beings are endowed with unalienable rights and so we can all strive to be happy .The society has differences based on which there are some necessary categorizations and these are meant to make society functional without compromising on the basic rights but there are also certain differences that amount to inequality and exclusion ;gender is one of the identities that often lead to cornering of humanity because of the complex inequality it involves .Gender is a social construct which demands people to act in certain ways depending on their biological make up curbing individual freedom . We have seen both men and women suffer due to societal pressure. Women have been at greater disadvantage in this regard and hence a lot of established norms need to be questioned, the society needs to be sensitized towards gender to create equal opportunities for both men and women.

In this direction Ms. Chanda Asani , Lecturer, Women Studies organized a session on 3^rd August,2019 in A.V. hall under to address students on the topic “Gender Sensitization. The session began with discussion on minor observations in regard to treatment of gender especially women in various spaces like homes, workplaces, media etc. The objective was look into the reasons for specified discriminatory practices against women and the reasons for it. After this interactive session, the students were shown a movie titled ‘Ek naya Mayna’ that was based upon myths associated with menstrual cycle and how with a little effort we can normalize a natural biological phenomenon. The movie merely with two characters; mother and daughter sent a strong effective message as to why periods have certain taboos and what used to be the logic behind it. A woman is not polluted during menstrual cycle, this is only a societal narrow-mindedness that has been fuelled by rigid structures of the society. Girls must have the entire information about this bodily phenomenon and must respect themselves. This movie was directed by a Radhika Sharma ,student of MJMC with UGC assistance. The participatory group included students from Journalism, Home Science and Financial Studies. The screening of movie was followed by a lot of experience sharing on the part of the students. It was an eye opener for the students. The movie covered biological, psychological, and sociological dimensions associated with menstrual cycle. There was a special emphasis on menstrual health too. Overall, the session could address a lot of less-talked issues surrounding menstruation in the society.