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Gujarat to put up pictures of women icons in schools to create awareness about gender equality
The SSA has provided three sets of posters featuring leading women icons from fields of literature, science, and sports.
In an aim to create awareness regarding gender equality, Gujarat Sarva Siksha Abhiyan has decided to put up pictures of women icons in the hallways of its 30,000 government schools across 33 districts, officials said.
“This is not a mandatory program. Here the aim is of creating awareness to make sure that the next generation is gender sensitized,” said SSA additional project director Jayshree Devgan.
The SSA has provided three sets of posters featuring leading women icons from fields of literature, science, and sports. “Usually, what has been seen are the posters of leading men leaders in schools. If not totally absent, then the number of women leaders’ posters are definitely lesser.”
“This subconsciously has an impact on the growing children’s minds. We have asked the school authorities to make sure that women leaders’ achievements are also prominently on display,” says Darshna Suthar, officer-in-charge, girls’ education.
The aim is to foster equal participation amongst female students in every activity, starting from musical functions to sports programmes, and also including school cleaning and hygiene drives.
“When students are participating in swachhta abhiyan, schools should make sure that not only girls but boys should also take up broom and duster,” Suthar added.
Equal emphasis should be given to make sure that sanitary napkins and proper disposal system is available. Besides, sitting arrangement be it in prayer hall or classroom should not be gender biased were few points outlined in the circular issued by Gujarat SSA.
The official said that especially in several rural areas, parents are opposed to having a girl sitting next to a boy in the classroom.
“It is one of the areas where everybody together will have to work hard for the improvements,” Suthar said.
The SSA has also asked the school to form a redressal committee and install a complaint box, wherein any student can write to the authorities about any issue that is disturbing the students.
