Chhattisgarh CM Launches Gender Curriculum

Chhattisgarh CM Launches Gender Curriculum

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The interactive online course with 14 lessons is aimed at enhancing young people’s understanding on gender rights and prevention of gender-based violence. 

Raipur, 15 November 2021| Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched Oxfam India’s course ‘Gender and Gender Equality’. Oxfam India’s CEO Amitabh Behar,  Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University’s Vice Chancellor Kesari Lal Verma and Mayor of Raipur Aizaj Dhebar were also present at the launch. The 14-week online course is freely available for everyone in English and Hindi on the web portal - https://gendermodule.oxfamindia.org/.

Highlighting the importance of Oxfam India’s initiative in furthering gender equality in the state, Hon’ble Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said, “Government of Chhattisgarh has launched various initiatives to empower women and girl children. We remain to committed to gender equality. I congratulate Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University and Oxfam India for creating this online gender curriculum.”

Oxfam India’s gender curriculum will create a safe space for young people to improve their understanding on the concept of gender, women’s rights, manifestations of violence against young women, the negative social norms that perpetuate various forms of violence and provide information on the redressal mechanisms.

The course comes at a time when the country is witnessing spike in violence against women triggered by Coronavirus pandemic. Data showed domestic violence complaints to National Commission for Women (NCW) reached a 21 years’ high during January-May 2021, according to the government. National Family Health Survey- 5 (NFHS) also showed that 70% of women who faced physical violence in the major States did not inform anyone about it. This bilingual course (Hindi and English) will allow young people to easily access nuances of gender equality in India through online format and interactive content.

Recognising the ‘Shadow Pandemic’ of domestic violence in India, University Grants Commission (UGC) urged all universities and affiliating colleges via a letter to add content about gender sensitisation in the curriculum and organise lectures on women’s safety in April 2021. The move came post the recommendation of Parliamentary Committee on Atrocities and Crimes against women and children in 2021.

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Amitabh Behar, CEO, Oxfam India said, “During the pandemic Oxfam India has actively worked in Chhattisgarh. We have worked with various district administration in strengthening public health system by providing crucial life saving equipment. The gender curriculum launched today will be go a long way towards addressing the gap in the theoretical and actual practice of gender-based programming for the youth.”

In June 2021, Chhattisgarh was ranked top performing state on SDG 5: Gender Equality by NITI Aayog’s SDG performance index. This course by Oxfam India will further help state’s youth to continue the fight for gender justice. The course contains 14 lessons and will provide easy access to content around gender, stereotypes, power relations and patriarchy, aspects on leadership and violence against young women, information on laws, redressal structures and processes. The initiative is continuation of Oxfam India’s larger effort to address Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) and creating a discrimination free environment for all genders.

“The young people of our country are living in a patriarchal society, a society which strengthens negative gender norms and promotes gender-based violence. With this course, young people will understand issues like discrimination, inequality and gender-based violence allowing them to not resort to violence and neither encourage it or tolerate it in their lives,” said Sipra Devi, Director, Nivedita Foundation. For more information contact:- Akshay Tarfe +91 97399 81606

About Oxfam India

Oxfam India is a movement of people working to end discrimination and create a free and just society. We work to ensure that Adivasis, Dalits, Muslims, and women and girls have safe violence-free lives with freedom to speak their mind, equal opportunities to realize their rights, and a discrimination-free future.

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