By Mary Julie | Program Director
Life skills programme organised every month to empower young orphan girls supported through Global Giving, to understand the situations around them and effectively use their skills in dealing with day to day situations. This month the topic was on understanding Gender stereo-types and young people's rights. For the young girls in rural areas, coming from the disadvantaged community, Gender stereotype was totally new area.
At the start of the session, when the girls were asked to list down the activities what men can do and women cannot do; the responses were all hard-working jobs and jobs that involved outside home were listed for men. While list for women jobs they could respond more on the areas around kitchen, home-management and taking care of others. It is through discussions and group exercises, did they realise that they based the responses due to the stereotypes that has been influenced through family, community, media and other sources. Having helped the group understand, they were allowed to explore how news-paper media influences stereotype in day to day lives. The group brought out various pictures and advertisements depiciting women with home appliances and men with business centers and offices.
One girl narrated her own personal experience of how in her village, her neighbours and relatives force her to get married early because they are three girls in family. They also add on “what is the use of her studying, for anyway she will be married and will be at home”. She says "It hurts me a lot because all three girls in our family wants to study well and earn well to support our mother and family, but the gender stereotype is a big struggle for us to overcome"
Another adolescent girl expressed that, as she is living with her father and brother, the relatives close-by expect her to raise-up early morning, clean and water the verandah area and decorate the entrance of the house with kolam. She expressed though she enjoys putting kolam, the expectations and pressure that it is the girl's responsibility has made it feel the process as burden.
After helping the group realise the gender stereotypes, the impact it can cause on young girls and women were discussed. The issues around less encouragement for girls for higher education, early marriages and violence were the key areas discussed. Though domestic violence was discussed, the young girls have been accepting as normal and had not perceived it as an denial of right.
"It is a common feature in our village where an alcoholic husband involves in wife-beating and nobody intrudes, nor have we thought it as denial of right for the woman"- expressed an adolescent girl.
In my own family, though i want to study MA english and pursue in civil service, my relatives bring in proposals and say that graduation itself is too much for a girl who is going to get married", I never thought is as denial of my right to education -expressed an adolescent girl.
The session concluded with the rights young people have, with guidelines from UNCRC. Though the topic is sensitive to be handled especially in households were young orphan girls are under the care of widow-headed, this has enabled the young girls realise their rights and also know ways to seek protection when rights are denied. In addition, the young girls have also been taught to look within the community and their immediate environment for Gender steretype behaviours.
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