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| The day started... |
People for parity organized a three day residential
workshop from 12th November to 14th November, 2016 with
one of its partner organizations, Ibtada on gender specific capacity building
in Alwar. Ibtada works to strengthen communities especially women to play an
influential role to reduce social and economic poverty and inequality. People
for parity organized workshop focusing on the capacity building of the staff
which helped them to have a better understanding on gender through self
awareness. Total 23 members of Ibtada attended the workshop.
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| On paths, path shall we discover…. |
The workshop started with some warm up
activities followed by self introduction session to create a friendly ambiance.
Before starting the major sessions to understand their expectations or moment
thoughts, we spent a little time to know each other’s expectations from this
workshop. After that we came up with some mutual agreements which should be
followed throughout the three day workshop.
For showing them any bigger picture or any
different perspective on Gender, the clarification or the knowledge of the
difference between the two terms- sex and gender should be clear to them. Hence
to create the understanding a small activity was done where they had to give
their agreement on the statement written on a chit. This activity reflected their
perception towards sex and gender, what definition or understanding they had in
their mind regarding this. Once it was cleared, the session was followed by
Chinese whisper game to understand the interpretation and evolution of the social
messages we receive as our culture to define the identity of gender. Then there
was a discussion on the source of gender disparity, how it started and became
an epidemic. After that, to make them reflect
on their daily life and to understand its influence we did a small group
activity where we tried to figure out or recognize the disparity of the social
messages for holding a particular gender identity. It helped them to understand the evolution of
gender in the society.
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| I am… |
As they gradually started understanding the
visible disparity in society’s thoughts, belief – empathy was introduced to
them. The most notable thing was being activists they were aware of sympathy
and considered it as one the best approach to show in a vulnerable situation. This
session led them to an inner transformation, showed them a different dimension
to have the kind of perception toward things. Seema ji, one of the staff
members, stated, “We often fail to empathize with our co workers as we never tried
to listen to their side of story rather we did not try to realize them. We are
so self centric that we always think of finishing our given tasks without understanding
their vulnerability. But social sector is a place where this tool should be
implemented the most.” Other staff
member, Chandrakant ji stated, “I have learnt new word 'empathy'. I thought
that sympathy was the only thing we can show to a person. But today I have
realized how different it is from empathy and empathy is the thing what we
should try to do with people whenever they are in any vulnerable situation.”
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| Among masses within opinion pulse of public we will gather, uncover, discover |
The session on socialization helped them to
understand the influence or practice of the messages we receive from the
society to define our lifestyle. In this session through an activity they could
balance the pressure of the society both on men and women. Saheb ji said, “We
only blame men for making a woman’s life terrible. But through this activity
hope we all have realized that some injected social norms make situation worse
for both men and women. If a woman has to suffer it, the man has to create it,
because that’s what they have been trained.”
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| Let’s make a story… |
Session on social power was conducted
through activity including drama. In this session they had an in hand experience
how predefined social power impacted the fate of decision in a woman’s life and
what role it played in a man’s life to perceive things. Santosh quoted, “I have
come to this realization point that I have enough capacity to do things, but
making the decision to do those, something which was not in me. But I am
confident that from now I will work on the access of the power to make
decisions for my life which is already in me.” This session further led to the self
reflective session, ‘zones’ which helped them to reflect upon their strength,
fear, anxiety. Pooja said, “Today I feel that I too have an identity. It took
me time to recognize myself, to acknowledge myself. I am feeling very confident
and hopeful now. I want to start working on my shortcomings first.” Pilot ji
further added, “I did not know that the shortcomings which had been resisting
us, were inside us. We need to focus on ourselves first, and then we would be
able to bring change outside.”
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| We’re opening up a Pandora’s Box. Be careful what you wish for… |
ESCA was a session which helped to learn
how to implement the understanding of empathy, zones, social power in field
work. It was a tool for the behavioral approach. They found it quite convincing
and practical. But some of them needed a little more discussion on it to get
more clarification on its approach.
On third day we had a discussion on social
beliefs, its system and source and how it was emerged in our day to day life. This
belief system gave them a glimpse of reality which they unconsciously
overlooked in their day to day life. Vrihaspati said, “We receive messages from
the society from the very beginning of our life and that's what makes all the
differences in one's life- I was not aware of it. I somehow skipped this
consciousness. Now everything is crystal clear to me.” Sahab ji further added, “Whatever I have
learnt throughout these three days workshop, I desire to implement those in the
society to demonstrate them that the conceptual ideas of the society are far,
far away from the reality we deal with.
We can do a lot more than what society thinks we can do, better should
do.”
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| Life is a theatre set in which there are but few practicable entrances… |
The entire realization took a completion
with gender peace session. It provoked them to think of the world to which they
actually wanted to belong. This session had a very reflective activity where
they had a reality check on what they dreamt but how they lived. Tara ji
stated, “I have learnt empathy, I have learnt the norms of the society and mine
as well. I can see a different me now. The activity with toffee was a mirror to
me. It reflected the darker side of us that we didn’t mercy anyone when it came
to our self interest.”
Over all, this workshop was a successful
first step towards gender peace as attendees felt a shift in their mindset end
of the workshop. Rajesh ji stated, “My perception towards gender has completely
shifted to the other zone now and I can feel it.” Rajkumar added to it saying,
“This workshop has been very insightful for me. I have clarity on things now
what I keep hearing from my surroundings. Especially this toffee activity was
very insightful. I have understood the gender peace concept.
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| What we see, hear, we speak… |
Whenever we hear
sex, gender, we tend to interpret these terms in an aggressive way, but I did
not see that approach in this workshop. The term gender peace, equality, what
we talked about, truly reflected in this workshop as not a single time
facilitator accused males for the situation of the women in the society, rather
they tried to empathize the situation (what a man and woman both face in the
society).”
