SSA, SHEF organize a 5 days workshop to educate boys to become champions of gender justice

Bureau chief R L Pandey 
Lucknow: In a one-of-a-kind initiative, Study Hall Education Foundation’s (SHEF) Aarohini program in collaboration with UP State Government Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) organized a 5-day residential camp on 19th June 2023 at Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra Lucknow. This camp was organized for 86 boys coming from upper primary government schools in the Laharpur block of Sitapur. The aim of the camp is to educate boys and men to become advocates of gender justice.  

After continuous discussions and activities on issues like gender justice and equality with children from 43 schools, 2 best-performing children from each school were selected as the  “Champions of Gender Justice” and as advocates of gender issues, This is the first time that these boys will venture out of their village and attend a one of a kind camp such as this. 

This camp will foster self-discovery and empowerment in the children, they would explore topics such as self-identity, autonomy, masculinity, equality, discrimination, patriarchy, life planning, community engagement, and organization formation through discussions and dramas. Additionally, films would be screened for these children encouraging critical thinking and meaningful conversations.

Priyanka Saxena, manager of the Aarohini program, says that“When talking about gender issues our focus largely remains on girls. It is time that we shift this focus and aim towards building a society where women and men can work towards equality and create opportunities that benefit each other”

SHEF COO Anand Chitravanshi said, “This is the first time Shef is organizing a camp that is  exclusively for boys this camp will focus on instilling gender equality values into their lives through interactive activities, discussions, and film screenings.”
 
The aim of the camp is to make boys aware of gender issues and prepare them to build a safer and better world for women and girls in their homes and communities. These boys will work actively in their areas to make people aware of gender and social issues. The program will end on June 24, 2023, with the distribution of certificates to all the children.