Gender Bias

In Manthan, one of the parent raised a thought on “gender bias” enviroenmt at Aarohi – Do kids work boys and girls group? Do they have girls can do and boys are this?” Shall we do something pro-actively to create a gender neutral environment at Aarohi? Shall we question when gender bias behavior is exhibited?

Thank You for bringing the topic, the topic has opened up many other avenues.Conventional beliefs about gender are available in plenty around for us and for our children. So what is our role?

Here is what I propose,

AT AAROHI

Questioning

  • We do hear “boys are naughty, boys trouble, they spoil the laptops when “they” play video games”.
  • Question such comments – (not to change but to think). What does it mean to trouble? How does playing video games spoil laptop? Is it video games or is it handling of laptops? What is naughty? Does trouble means physical hurt or teasing? Is it only boys or only girls? or all or some……..and so on. Ask question to stimulate thinking or think about different perspective not to answer what is questioned. The questioning is not to question a person but a thought.

Environment

  • When the environment is led by gender bias – Newly painted “purple” color in staircase, or “boys cannot do that, girls cannot play cricket”.
  • Sometimes questions, sometimes create opportunities to experience something different for me. Encourage peer to peer learning which is not gender to gender learning. When doing cooking or painting or wrestling or repairing or dance activities, invite or create constraint for various gender to take part – this is to create experience, not to ensure that they change their beliefs.
  • When a laptop is not working – do not go to Shilpi/ Ratnesh, look for some more options.

AT HOME

  • Switch roles to decide what will be cooked today, where to invest, who to take leave when a child is sick, who will coordinate with helpers at home, laundry, repair of car and so on.
  • Switch roles when a guest come home – to chat with guest and and to arrange all the food?
  • Some of the works at home are naturally comfortable for us – switch roles to experience challenge.
  • Switch roles to attend parent-child day(PCD) or parent child review at Aarohi.
  • Arrange all gender sleepover party :).
  • When a child shares “boys does that and girls that” – ask for specific “is it only one or few or all? Is it “sometimes, few times, few times or always?”.

Do not switch roles to teach your children gender equality – just do it for yourself to experience. Rest, allow them to choose from various options available to them. The idea is notto change their beliefs rather we can create an environment which can lead to thinking and experiencing. We can create many options for our children to choose and allow them to choose what they want.

Share your thoughts

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