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Rajasthan: Teachers use Navratri for gender equality

The unique move also aims at ending caste discrimination

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Teachers wash the feet of girls at a government school in Rajasthan
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Teachers in over 2,000 government schools spanning 18 districts of Rajasthan are following an innovative initiative to inculcate and promote respect for girls and women. They are celebrating Navratri in their schools by performing a pooja involving students and teachers. Teachers and senior boys wash the feet of girls, apply tilak and perform aarti for girl students.

The students, especially boys, are asked to take blessings from the girls for a good future. By equating girls to Goddess Durga, teachers are making it simple for the students to understand the need to respect women and girls for a just society. Girl students are also being told that they should not consider themselves weak or inferior.

The event is being organised on any of the nine days of Navratri as per the convenience of the staff at the respective school. This move does not just end there, but goes further as it also tries to put an end to caste discrimination. Teachers are stressing on getting Dalit girls to represent the nine forms of Durga. In order to draw the attention of the students to this event, all girls enrolled in the school are given token gifts while all students are to enjoy a sumptuous feast on the day.

The teachers are taking no government for this unique initiative, but the bear all the costs themselves.

The movement started four years ago in 2015 by a group of teachers who felt that it is up to he students, the future of the society, to learn to respect women and bring caste discrimination to an end. The move was limited to about 100 schools then, but with the use of social media it has been gaining momentum and has spread across the state. Several schools in districts of Jodhpur, Sikar, Jaipur, Banswara, Dausa, Pali, Jalore, Barmer and Jhunjhunu now organise this event.

"We believe this is an easy way to promote gender sensitisation and respect for girl child. We also try to inculcate this sense of respect in their behaviour across the year. Our aim is to spread this effort across every school in Rajasthan," said Sandeep Joshi, a government school teacher in Jalore.

"The children who come to us are from the financially backward sections of society, but they are very receptive to what we tell them. There is a visible change in their attitude," said Suman Bhadia, teacher at Government school Lalpur, Sikar.

Krishna Murari, teacher at government school in Banswara said, "It is a pleasure to see students admonish any one who misbehaves with girls. They spontaneously spell out the lesson of respect and equality. Fair ideas are taking root in their minds. This is the least we can do as teachers."

A GOOD GROWTH

  • The movement started in 2015 by a group of teachers who felt that it is up to he students, the future of the society, to learn to respect women and bring caste discrimination to an end. 
     
  • The move was limited to about 100 schools, but with time around 2,000 schools now participate in this.
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