An Institution for Women of India

A two-day training was conducted at PTC Jharonda Kalan for 600 police personnel. Sessions were conducted on domestic violence and status of women. The rights, which are ingrained in the International Declaration of Human Rights, were discussed with them. Each right was analysed in relation to Gender. Focus was given to their role in the implementation of human rights. Top

Gender sensitisation of IPS Officers- Police Training College-Madhuban- Karnal-Haryana 23rd January 2002

This training is a two-week training organised by Lawyers' Collective, a Delhi based NGO for Senior Police Officers. Trainers from GTI were invited to take sessions on Gender issues. Very basic information through participatory training was shared with them. Three sessions were conducted for them which were related with stereotyping, socialisation process and on understanding of sex and gender. The feedback given by the participants was very positive and encouraging. All the three sessions were equally effective. Top

Police training at Jharodakalan for the Constabulary 13th & 14th Feb 2002

The two-day training programme with Constables and Head constables was held with twenty participants. The workshop started with the exercise on gender as a concept wherein gender was introduced as a social construction that was dynamic and changeable. The exercise on Gender Roles and Responsibilities helped the participants analyse the gender division of labour that also resulted in difference in allocation of resources. This division was analysed in the context of the existing situation where more and more where joining the workplace. The double burden on women in such situations was also discussed. Domestic violence as a 'high growth sector' was discussed. The various myths associated with domestic violence were analysed and delineated. Top

One-day workshop for students of Ritanjali a second chance school 2nd March 2002

The one-day workshop for the students was aimed at preparing them to step into the world through introspection and decision-making. The participants were students who are given a second chance by Ritanjali to fulfil their aspirations. A number of students had run away from homes due to extreme poverty and were picked up from the streets by a trust. The question "Who am I?" elicited mixed responses. It was nostalgic journeys back home for some, for one girl it was the tentacles like norms set by the society that forbade her from looking ahead, for another English language was the passport to success. For still others the goal and identity was clear, be a professional and make enough money to support the family back home. Top

One Day workshop with Police Personnel of New Delhi Range 8th March 2002

The process of gender sensitisation of Delhi Police has already started. To strengthen the resolve of gender equality Delhi police of Central District organised a half-day interactive session on Gender sensitisation on the occasion of Women's Day. At the Parliament Police Station Mr. Amod Kanth, Joint Commissioner Delhi Police inaugurated the Programme. Mr. Sunil Garg IPS and Mr. Meena IPS were also present.

Dr. Madhumita Sarkar and Viqar were the resource persons for this programme. There were 32 participants in this programme. All participants were ACPs and SHOs heading different Police Stations of Central District.

To understand the difference between sex and gender, group was divided into two parts on the basis of their choice of girl or boy. They were asked to enlist the reasons behind their choice. The reasons were like girls are sensitive and caring while boys are earning members and old age support. Through open discussion these expectations were discussed. It was a very exiting and lively discussion. With examples and recent happenings it was established that expectations are behind our choices. Since expectations can be changed it means gender can be changed, because it is a social concept, which changes with time and place. While sex is natural and universal in nature and cannot be changed.
To know the impact of stereotypes in our lives, group exercise was conducted which is called as mixed wedding exercise. Four groups were formed and information and instructions were given to each group. Group faced lot of problem because they were not convinced that dress or particular profession could be done by women/men. The riddle was solved when they accepted that driver can be woman or typist can be a man. Stereotypes about men and women were discussed in length through this exercise. Effects of stereotypes on both men and women were also highlighted.

It is very hard to change the people in one or two session. But GTI triggered off the ability of questioning which is a great achievement. Feedback was very encouraging and positive as two or three participants approached us for five days training of trainers' programme. Top

Gender Training Institute in collaboration with UNIFEM organized a Training of Trainers Workshop on Gender Sensitization for Delhi Police personnel from 1st -5th (Monday to Friday) April 2002 at Hotel Rajhans, Suraj Kund, Haryana.

The aim of the current Training of Trainers Programme held in April was to address the issue of gender with the aim to restructure existing relationship between women and men. The training sought to help develop abilities and skills aimed at integrating gender into programming and capacity building. The sensitivity of the law enforcers becomes significant as they have the vital responsibility of enforcing laws. Women's Rights, Trafficking and Violence against women as a Human Rights concern and Communication and counselling for effective policing besides gender were the focal areas.

The participants of the programme numbering 18 were Trainers from the Police Training College, Jharoda Kalan and personnel from other districts in Delhi. The faculty consisted of experts from institutions like United Nations Development Programme, National Human Rights Commission, International Centre for Research on Women, Management Development Institute, UNIFEM and other independent consultants of repute.

Dr. Kiran Bedi Jt. Commissioner of Police Training inaugurated the workshop. Dr. Bedi in her address emphasized that gender sensitivity could not be considered in isolation as it was a part of the larger process of sensitivity of the individual as a whole. She enumerated the causative factors of violence against women. She urged the need to move from the "Large roof concept to Life Cap concept" that would change the woman from being an easy victim to an empowered woman ultimately leading to a developing society. She recommended a vibrant network between NGO's and Joint sectors with the government as a means to achieve this change.

The outcome of the five-day programme was in the form of the presentations that were made by the participants themselves conducting various sessions. The programme had prepared them to conduct gender trainings in their respective districts so that gender could be integrated in the police curriculum. The participants used different methodologies like role-plays, group presentations and prepared posters to conduct sessions on Trafficking, Dowry deaths, Child marriage and importance of counselling in policing.

The critiquing of the programme, wherein the best group presentation and best trainer were felicitated, were done by Mr. Sunil Garg, Add. DCP, New Delhi Range, Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director, Centre for Social Research, Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi, Lawyer and Dr. Madhumita Sarkar, Head, GTI. Mr. Cheema, DCP New Delhi range was the surprise guest who took an active interest in the proceedings of the day and appreciated the role of the implementing organisation for undertaking this crucial and important task of introducing gender sensitivity in the police force. The TOT would be followed by a three day follow up programme where the trainers would share their experiences of testing the gender module prepared by them and discuss the problems faced in implementing them. Strategies to overcome the obstacles and difficulties would also be developed during the course of the follow up programme. Top

Gender Sensitisation workshop for police personnel at Jharodakalan 29th - 30th April 2002

The two-day training programme on gender sensitisation was meant for newly promoted Asstt. Sub Inspectors of police. Since there 550 police personnel, multimedia system was used. This two day training programme was a new experience for GTI because use of films on such a wide level was first experience. Previously films were used for training purposes but not at such a large scale.

The training was started with the concept of Gender and Sex. This was done with the help of gender story. Expectations from boys and girls were analysed and it was established that gender is a social construct while sex is biological one.

A novel experiment of holding discussions with the help of film at such a large scale was done through Meena. Meena is an animated film of UNICEF consisting of eleven stories. These stories are related with nutrition, dowry, Education, marriage, health and eve teasing. It made an impact on participant. After each film recent data was shared to know the present status of girl child.

Issue of domestic violence was also raised with the help of a film called 'Chardiwari'. In followed discussion police personnel shared their experiences from their field. Effect of violence on the heath of women and its effect on society in terms of social and economic cost were also shared with them.

A lively discussion on the socialization process and changes in its institutions was held. They felt pain on the erosion of values day by day in family, schools and workplace. Misuse of religion was widely discussed by them. In last it was said that behaviour/attitude is the outcome of values. Values determine our culture. Respect and tolerance comes from values.

Kiran Bedi JCP training took the feedback from the participants. Participants requested for more course like this. They were very thankful for resource persons also.

Impact of the training:

GTI congratulates Rtn. Ms. Iris Sylvester Head of the Department Arts St. Theresa's Autonomous College, Eluru, for organising a two-Day State Level Seminar on "World Of Gender" at Eluru. She was one of the participants of the three-Day workshop for college lecturers from different parts of India at Bangalore in May 2001 organised by AIACHE and Conducted by GTI. Organising a seminar was a suggestion given by her as a follow -up. Top

20th May 2002 SCERT Raisina Bengali School

This training was for two different groups at the Raisina Bengali School. The session began with the presentation on the status of women. As soon as we began we faced a volley of questions on the need for gender training. Men argued that women were becoming increasingly ill mannered and this had to do with the excessive freedom given to them. The statistics on sex ratio elicited responses like women are their worst enemies and quoted the example of mother in law and daughter in law relationship. They were of the view that women are misusing section 498-A of IPC and making unnecessary hue and cry; the situation is not bad as it is being portrayed. Also daughter in laws are not serving their old age parents-in laws. Even educated girls are no more exceptions.

One of the participants questioned the source of the data that was given. When he was informed that it was the latest government census data and showed him the report, he laughed it away as all government data are baseless. The data that he felt was right was the one he quoted from memory and was published in newspapers in the month of February. The attitude was do not question my memory I am a teacher and I can never be wrong.

The behaviour of that teacher clearly shows that patriarchal values are so rigid that it is really very hard to break them. One can easily analyse the impact of such teachers on children and their development. It was a very good experience for trainers. Top

TOT Chandigarh at Hotel Timber Trail, Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh 27th -31st May 2002

The five-day Training of Trainers at Chandigarh began with a press conference at the police headquarters. The press evinced keen interest in the workshop; Dr. Ranjana Kumari in her address to the press traced the journey of Gender Training Institute with the Delhi Police and cited experiences of some of the participants who attended the training. Mr. Ajay Kashyap, Dy. Inspector General of Police formally released the poster on Eve teasing during the inauguration of the workshop. The training design of the Chandigarh TOT was the same as the TOT at Delhi. There were 19 participants for the workshop. Most of them were young and extremely energetic. The shortened lunch breaks, practically no tea breaks and the day ending at seven in the evening did not elicit even a hint of resentment. This only helped the facilitators to carry on and deliver the best.

The methodology of the workshop was highly appreciated, and the general response was that they had lost count of time and not once did they feel tired or restless. Some of the leadership and communication exercises that were conducted in the open by Mr. Akmal Shareef Training consultant had even the visitors in the hotel requesting us to allow them to participate.
The session on violence by Dr. Pam Rajput Head, Department of Women's studies Chandigarh University, was highly appreciated for its content and analysis of cycle of violence. The case analysis and exhaustive information on trafficking by Mr. P. M. Nair IPS Nodal officer on Trafficking Issues left the participants overawed. Mr. Ajay Kashyap's session on Human rights was interspersed with examples and a small exercise on remembering their own human right as per their date of birth.
The presentations by the participants on the final day had the critiquing team speechless. The critiquing team comprised of Mr. P.M. Nair IPS, Mr. Ajay Kashyap IPS, Mr. Dhaliwal IPS, Dr. Pampa Mukherjee from Chandigarh University and Dr. Madhumita Sarkar from GTI.
The facilitators from GTI were touched by the small music party organised by the participants. Overall the training was a memorable experience for the facilitators and hopefully for the participants too.Top

Police Training College Jharodakalan New Delhi 11th -12th June 2002

This two-day training programme was aimed to sensitise the police personnel of North District. It was a mixed group of men and women consisting of twenty-two members. They were introduced to the concept of gender and sex after the ice-breaking exercise, which was aimed at making the participants comfortable with each other.

Issue of roles and responsibilities of men and women were discussed and analysed. This led to a heated debate between the men's and women's group. It was felt that with women playing dual roles there was a need for greater sensitivity and cooperation from men. Men felt that women use their sex to their advantage and exploit them. It was analysed that as long as men felt that they must take all the decisions at home, must do all the outside work, and look upon the family as the burden they have to carry on their stooping backs the problem would persist. Most women felt that unless women are looked upon as equal partners at home the present workplace dynamics of women leaving for home early, or not ready to take additional duties, etc. would persist.

The issue of domestic violence was raised with the help of a documentary film called 'Chardivari'. They were moved after watching the film and discussing it, and the need for the police to play a proactive role so that more and more women could be saved from the trauma of mental and physical abuse. The workshop ended on a positive note, with the participants promising to speak on gender issues in their homes and their workplaces. Top

One-day training was conducted for the Senior Project staff of Samarth Plan at Rohini 17th June 2002

One-day training was conducted for the Senior Project staff of Samarth Plan at Rohini. Most of the staff members have experience of 5 to 15 years in Developmental Social Work and are working at community level for Educational development of Children.

Theoretically, this was the first time they were exposed to Gender Training. Difference between gender and sex with its implications on children was analysed and explained to them. Following the participatory approach issue of roles and responsibilities of men & women were raised and were critically analysed. Discussion was summed up after showing Meena film ' Aam ka Bantwara.' Domestic violence, which is increasing at an alarming rate and hampers women personal and social development, was discussed in depth. Myths and facts related to domestic violence were also discussed. All were convinced that there is a strong need to work on gender issues for the betterment of our society.

The training was summed up after presentation on the current status on women. Summing up the training participants felt that although training methodology and content was very good the time was insufficient. Top

18th-19th June 2002 Samarth Plan

This time training programme was conducted for member of community with whom Samarth Plan is working. Since their education level was low, training was designed accordingly.

It started with participatory introductory exercise. They were a little hesitant in the beginning. After little persuasion they started opening up. They were asked to enlist the causes behind their choices of girl and boy. According to them it is 'samaj' which is responsible. Difference between gender and sex was explained to them using their word 'samaj' and what does samaj means for us.

Issue of roles and responsibilities was discussed with the help of the film Meena. Importance of education to both boys and girls were discussed after the film show. An air of reluctance for education was visible amongst them and all were very open in sharing their experiences. Issue of domestic violence follows this. There was complete silence during the film 'Chardiwari'. We observed some of the participants trying to hold back their tears some, simply broke down. This was one of the major problems in the community in addition to health and education of the girl child. Top

The training programme was conducted for members of community with whom Casplan is working 25th -26th June 2002 Casp Plan

On 25th the training programme was conducted for members of community with whom Casplan is working. Health and education are the area of concern of Casplan. The training was designed keeping in mind the literacy level of the members, which was low.

Participants were really enthusiastic about whole training and participated with great zeal. Concept of Gender was discussed with them. Since it was a mixed group there was resistance in accepting superiority of each other. It was nice to see women not accepting the patriarchal tone of men. Very rationally they gave justifications behind every myth. All were agreed that the differences exist between men and women, which lead to different expectations causing exploitation, are creation of society but these are changeable. Domestic violence is always a concern of women, which was addressed with the help of film. During film show of 'Nasreen O Nasreen' there was complete silence and one woman started crying. While discussing over this topic she confessed privately that she was victim of domestic violence as her husband beat her daily. Feedback was very positive, some members said that training should imparted to our men's who crib for sons as well to mother & father -in-laws who crib for grandson.

On 26th One-day training was conducted for the mixed group of men and women staff members of Casplan. Many had been working from last 10 to 15 years with Casplan. First time to they were exposed to Gender Training and they participated actively in the training. Concept of gender was not clear to them. Men were of the view that women are weak because they lack self-confidence. Moreover women are the worst enemy of women. Although women group argued with them but they did not convince. Finally all were agreed that women need special attention in the field of education and economic advancement. They can only achieve control on their lives through education and economic empowerment. All were agreed that to achieve social equality and harmony women should be encouraged, as there is no difference between men and women. In the group men and women were agreed that work of women and men should be recognised and appreciated by each other. This will lead to mutual respect of each other.

Feedback we got from them is that the training should be given to the Dai's because they take more money when a boy is born as compare to birth of a girl. Concept of sex & gender was not clear to some as they thought both are same, now the difference was clear to them. They really liked the training methodology and also felt that men & women should not think of each other as competitors. They felt that the duration of training should be for two days. Top

Training Programme with Police Personnel of Panchkula, Haryana 24th & 25th July 2002

GTI's association with the law enforcing agencies dates back to 1999, when the first TOT was organised with Delhi Police at Surajkund. This association has been strengthened through regular trainings at the Police Training College, Jharoda Kalan. As an extension of this, two more TOT's were held- with Delhi Police in April 2002 and with Chandigarh Police in June 2002.

The two-day training programme at Panchkula, was the first experience of GTI with Haryana Police apart from the training with IPS officers in the Police Training School in Karnal. The current programme gave the opportunity to interact with the Constabulary. The programme was designed to address the issue of gender. As is common with gender training programmes, the participants understood gender as sex with the latter being a biological construct. The elaboration of gender as a social construct and therefore changeable, when substantiated with examples, helped the participants understand the social ramifications of the gender system. This helped the participants recount incidents from their childhood and lives when they experienced the different manifestations of gender in the form of discrimination in education, health, nutrition, and opportunities. The social pressures on men and women to conform to the image of a 'man' and a 'woman' respectively (as understood in the society) was discussed at length during the exercise on socialisation.

During the course of discussion, domestic violence emerged as an important issue as most of the participants gave references of such cases that they had personally handled. However it was clear that the majority members felt that violence directed at one's spouse was justifiable under certain circumstances. They felt that women who were educated were not tolerant enough which led to marital discord, often resulting in violence. Interestingly, even some of the women participants felt that women infact were the biggest enemies of women. Some raised the question that why did women not come out of destructive relationships? Deviating from the schedule of the programme, the resource persons took these statements and asked the participants to trace the source of these statements, the channels through which they were reinforced and whether changes could be made in these statements. It was very interesting to note that the participants had a lot of difficulty in tracing the source of these statements though they correctly identified the institutions through which they were reinforced like the media, neighbourhood, family etc. The most important aspect identified by the participants were that for changes, one had to begin with self. The inability of the participants to identify the source of these statements implied that there were no concrete basis for these perceptions primarily because they were social beliefs and construction. Top

September 2002 National Academy for Customs, Excise and Narcotics (NACEN) New Delhi

GTI collaboration with NACEN is quite long. 32 participants from different parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab participated in this workshop of which 7 were female and rest were males. Initially there was some resistance in accepting the training on Gender. This could be due to some unpleasant experiences of similar trainings held earlier. However as the workshop progressed there was a distinct shift from reluctance to active participation.

During the exercise on choice of sex of the child there was one participant who refused to exercise his choice. He kept insisting that I am happy with both and I will not decide on any one. However as the groups were divided according to the choice of sex of the child the participant quietly joined one of the groups and started expressing his views. He gradually started dominating the discussion and we observed that it also led to some dissent. The group started demanding that he decide the sex of the child before he joined the discussion. The total involvement of participants in the exercise and their assertion kindled hope in us that we had the participants with us.

The exercise on stereotypes was found to be rather difficult by the participants and two groups could not complete the exercise. They found the task of identifying the characters confusing. This was a group activity and the members of the groups were seen having heated discussions with each other. They matched the names with the different characters but could not match certain colours and occupations with the characters. How can the bride be a bus driver by occupation; and how can Ravi, the groom's friend, wear the purple clothes were their general queries. They even blamed the facilitator and felt it as an attempt by the facilitator to confuse them as they thought it a direct one to one relationship on the basis of their conventional thinking. For instance, generally the girls are nurses by occupation but how can a man be a nurse? They could not deviate from their usual line of thinking with regard to the sex of the person and the colour of his clothes and occupation.

The facilitator explained the exercise on the basis of 'alternate thinking'. Once conveyed, the participants were convinced about the importance of alternate thinking in today's changing times. They were made to think about the whole exercise through introspection and each other's experiences. When asked why they could not associate the unconventional occupation of a bus driver with a girl, the participants referred to their socio-cultural conditioning which hampers their thinking in any other way.

Feedback from the participants :

During the course of the workshop, the facilitators found that the initial rigidity and apprehensions of the participants were giving way to eagerness to learn among them and looking forward to many such workshops. When asked: how they felt about the workshop, the replies were very heartening:

A very interesting workshop especially, the manner in which the concepts of gender and socialisation were made simpler to understand through the games and exercises.
The participants said that they were made to introspect their own value system and relate it to the practices and perceptions prevailing in our society.
The participants said that they added a new dimension to their thinking about the person of opposite sex in the light of various changes that are occurring in the social, cultural and economic fabric of our society. This is called a new wave thinking, i.e., gender sensitivity.
Many of them queried: when is the next workshop of this kind, going to be held? They said that they learnt a lot through interaction with the fellow participants. They appreciated the encouraging role of facilitators in the workshop. Top

September 2002 Haryana Institute of Public Administration

This workshop was for participants from different state cadres. They were from different departments and had different views on gender issues. If the low sex ratio in the state of Haryana is a worrying factor that we identified Top

12th -14th November 2002: 3-day follow up training with Chandigarh Police as part of UNIFEM sponsored Training of Trainers programme in three states

The three day follow up training programme in Chandigarh was so designed so as to discuss the problems and initiatives taken by the participants to integrate gender in the police curricula and their day to day functioning.

Various exercises were conducted towards this end. The first day of training was devoted to problem solving wherein the participants explained the various measures that they had initiated and the constraints that they experienced in integrating gender. It was interesting to note that the participants had adopted the participatory methodology of the training in their training programmes with the recruits in the Recruitment and Training Centre (RTC). This had also been adopted for their regular recruitment drive for the Chandigarh Police with optimum results. The session on 'Leadership' analysed the leadership roles of policemen as individuals as well as organisational players.

The SWOT Analysis and the Force Field Analysis were two exhaustive exercises that helped the participants to understand their organisation better to further improve its functioning. These exercises analysed the internal and external environment and the influences that it exerted to determine its nature and structure. A three pronged analysis at the individual, institutional and policy measures to further help integrate gender in policing were undertaken. This was followed by action planning wherein the participants listed the specific tasks that they would undertake and the indicator to measure their progress. Top

3rd Roshni Deshpande Memorial lecture Lady Irwin College New Delhi 26th November 2002

GTI team visited Lady Irwin College to attend the memorial lecture, which was delivered by UNFPA Representative for India, Mr. Francois M. Farah on Reproductive Health, Reproductive Rights and Gender Equality: An Intrinsic Trinity for Human Dignity. Addressing the gathering the noted speaker said that women status has been associated exclusively with maternity and reproduction and still it is considered as social function. Unfortunately woman has no control over their bodies and number of social institutions is responsible for this. But there is a slight change in government policies because of the felt importance associated with motherhood. The journey from MCH (mother and child health) to RCH (reproductive and child health) is testimony of change having premises on wholeness and integrity of personhood, the equality of individuals and responsibility of society. The noted speaker also opined that social change doesn't happen overnight when mindsets are concern but debating discrimination and questioning the profound assumptions is certainly warranted because it is for a noble and legitimate cause of equality, justice and dignity. Top

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