Children are like wet cement; whatever falls on them makes an impression. Gender socialization starts at an early stage, and schools and colleges usually play a major role in such socialization, which eventually contributes to the personality of a child. Hence, taking initiatives such as educating young minds to be equal and fair and teaching them about equal rights and anti-discrimination so that they discuss and support the idea of equality—whether based on caste, class, sex, etc.—among peers may go a long way in changing the personalities of all the youth of the country to eventually have young adults who would not only have a broad perspective with respect to the equal rights of others but also raise their voice against any inequality.
In India, the population of youth is currently the largest; individuals aged 15–24 account for 19.15% of the population. As Swami Vivekananda believed that the only people to make a difference in India are the youth, the Government of India, along with the Ministry of women and Child Development (“MWCD”) and the Ministry of Human Resource Development, devised the strategy of having gender champions in schools and colleges. The guidelines circulated by MWCD suggest that, just like any other club functioning in colleges and schools, such as a sports club, a Gender Champions Club should also be introduced to promote gender equality.
Click here to view a copy of the Guidelines for Gender Champions. You can also scroll down to read some of the other details related to the guidelines that we have discussed below.
Who is a gender champion?
From the paper released by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, it appears that a gender champion can be any boy or girl over 16 years of age enrolled at any educational institute. A gender champion should possess the qualities of a good leader; he or she should be responsible, decisive, supportive, easily addressed, acquire good writing and communication skills, be able to cope with his or her team, etc. It has identified certain other qualities that a gender champion must possess. These are as follows:
- He or she will be a responsible leader, one who will promote gender equality on all platforms and engage peers by organizing awareness campaigns, workshops, and various other competitions.
- He or she would plan visits to public service stations and educate peers about the gender issues that concern the masses. He or she would also standardize all police, hospital, and other women’s helpline numbers.
- He or she would exhibit knowledge of important government schemes, legislation, and court rulings that have a life-changing impact on the population.
How will they be chosen?
The gender champions at every educational institute shall be chosen by the heads of the institutes in agreement with other teachers and student representatives. The candidate applying for the post should be engaged in all activities involved with the aim of gender equality. On selection, the gender champion will be issued a selection letter and a gender champion badge.
The term of the Gender Champion will be one year, but can be extended up to one or more years according to the verdict of the Head of Institution. The activities of the Gender Champions will be monitored by Nodal Teachers, who shall guide and support the Gender Champions and also facilitate their work; they will also make quarterly reports regarding the activities of the Gender Champions.
The Champions on selection will receive distinctive training, which will be formulated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to sensitize the Champions on gender-related issues and also provide them with basic life skills and other information on gender stereotypes, legislation, etc. Each Gender Champion will submit his or her activity details to the Head of Institution, and these Gender Champions will then be assessed on the basis of quarterly reports and according to the activities they performed and their contribution towards gender equality. At the end of the term, the Gender Champions will be rewarded with a certificate of appreciation for their deeds towards gender equality.