Govt officer Ashwani Kumar calls for early gender sensitisation at Devyani screening

Govt officer Ashwani Kumar calls for early gender sensitisation at Devyani screening

New Delhi, Emphasising that women's safety must begin with the way society shapes the attitudes of children, government officer Ashwani Kumar on Saturday said schools can play a major role in teaching boys the values of respect, dignity, equality and consent from an early age.

Govt officer Ashwani Kumar calls for early gender sensitisation at Devyani screening

Kumar, an IAS officer, was speaking after a special screening of his acting debut Devyani at Modern School, Barakhamba Road here. Students came together for a conversation around women's safety, empowerment and the relationship between a father and his daughter.

Kumar, who serves as Secretary in the Assam government's Information Technology Department and as Director at the Directorate of Information Technology, Electronics and Communication , said laws, policing and institutions are necessary for ensuring safety, but lasting change requires society to address attitudes and behaviour at their roots.

"Women's safety begins much before a situation reaches the police or the justice system. It begins with the values we teach our children at home and in school. When boys learn from their school years that respecting women is a basic human value, we create a generation that is more sensitive, responsible and respectful," Kumar said.

"This generation does not simply accept everything that is handed down to it. Young people ask questions, challenge stereotypes and form their own views. That gives schools and families an important opportunity to engage with them early on issues such as equality, dignity, empathy and respect," he said.

Kumar said the objective should not merely be to teach girls how to protect themselves, but also to create an environment in which boys grow up understanding their own responsibility in building a safer society.

Modern School Principal Dr Vijay Datta said educational institutions provide an important environment where children learn how to interact with others and develop attitudes that often remain with them throughout their lives.

"Schools have a crucial role in teaching students from their formative years that women deserve respect, dignity, equality and freedom. If young minds learn to see women as equals and partners, they carry that understanding into their families, workplaces and society," Datta said.

He said women's safety should be discussed openly with young people and not viewed only as a matter concerning law and order.

"Women's safety is not merely a question of security arrangements. It is fundamentally a question of social behaviour and attitudes. Educational institutions can help address this at its roots by creating conversations around dignity, empathy, equality and respect," Datta said.

Datta said cinema can be an effective way of starting such conversations because young audiences often connect more deeply with a human story than with instructions or advisories.

Kumar said this was also one of the reasons he chose to associate himself with Devyani.

"Government can create policies, institutions and programmes. Technology can take solutions to millions of people. But storytelling can enter homes and reach people at an emotional level. Social change becomes stronger when systems, technology and stories work towards the same purpose," he said.

He said storytelling was particularly relevant while communicating with younger audiences.

"You cannot always tell a young person what to think. Sometimes you have to tell a story and allow them to think for themselves. A story creates empathy, and empathy can change the way we look at another person," Kumar said.

Devyani explores the relationship between a father and his daughter while addressing questions of women's safety, dignity and empowerment. The film also seeks to move the conversation beyond the idea of daughters merely needing protection and towards recognising them as courageous, independent and capable of becoming a source of strength for their families.

The screening was aimed at using cinema as a medium to engage young audiences on gender sensitivity and changing social attitudes.

"Policies can influence systems and stories can influence minds. Lasting social change requires both," Kumar said.

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