By Amitabh Kumar, Head of Media and Communication at Centre for Social Research and one of CSR’s gender trainers.

When my colleague asked me to write about ‘what it feels like to be a man working towards gender justice’ I didn’t know where to begin. I thought to myself, I could write a series of books on this subject and yet so much would still be left out. For the past three years I have been working for this cause and it’s been extremely challenging. The prevalence of gender justice across most of India derives from a misinterpretation of the patriarchal structures in our country, and being an only child and a boy, I have grown up enjoying the luxuries such a patriarchal society provides for the male sex.

In the beginning when I first started running gender training workshops, I struggled with my own internal conflicts. I realised that although I had been brought up in an extremely socially aware, gender-just household, there was nonetheless room for gender sensitisation in my own life. I believe that external influences of modern society, media and culture have a tendency to programme us in such a manner that we pick up unnatural behavioural traits. I’d say that as a child and young adult growing up in an age of globalisation, I was greatly influenced by pop culture of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Like most other teenagers around me, the social stigma of being ‘cool’ was the primary objective of life, and looking back on it, we did the most irrational, unexplainable and primitive things just to be cool. Coming from a hip-hop inspired ‘gotta-be-macho’ mindset, the idea of breaking away from that scene and the notion that ‘girls are fancy accessories’ was really hard.

Barring this internal challenge to being a man who works toward gender equality, there is also an external challenge. A frequent remark and one that still remains the hardest to respond to is, ‘You are a man, you can never fully understand what women go through’. It’s very true: I cannot. But on the other hand, injustice, discrimination, fear and pain are all human feelings. Men can probably never fully imagine the extent of gender discrimination in this country, but we sure can do a lot about it.

Many of the presentations, discussions and trainings I have been party to during my job in this sector tend to spiral off into a direction where men are regarded as the ‘enemy’. Trust me, it’s no easy task to reroute such a discussion back onto a more positive, less accusatory track. I must say, at times I feel I almost need to be a punching bag, to take one for the team. But that’s also where my motivation comes from. So many gender issues arise from miscommunication and misinterpretation, and the only way we can ever achieve a gender-just society is by working together to iron out these faults.

Despite the great work has been done by women and feminist groups in the past 40 years, I seriously think that while focusing so intently on the victim, they forgot all about the perpetrator and his role in making India a safer, fairer place to live. Providing justice is undoubtedly important, but an even more important task is to prevent injustice from materialising in the first place. The only way we to achieve that vision is by including men in the process.

Needless to say, faced by so many challenges, a normal day at work for me is pretty adventurous, and as there are very few men working for this cause, I consider it a privilege to be amongst the select few.

Ever wondered who is updating the CSR Facebook page, searching for the latest statistics on crimes against women, or assisting our core team in envisioning, coordinating and facilitating our projects and programs?

We are always very proud of our enthusiastic young interns in the CSR office. Over the years we’ve had interns join us from both across the country and across the world – from Punjab, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra in India to Scotland, Germany, Canada and Georgia. They’ve worked on a variety of projects such as Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, the I Stand for Safe Delhi campaign, Human Rights Defenders training workshops and numerous research projects. We’d like to introduce you to some of our current hard working interns!

Meet Prerna Dharni, Gender Training Institute Intern at Centre for Social Research, from Chandigarh, India.

GTI Intern Prerna Dharni taking part in the I Stand for Safe Delhi campaign 2011

What led to you joining the Centre for Social Research team?

I’m a single child and grew up hearing people tell my parents it was important to have a boy to “complete” the family. It unsettled me that people still thought like that. I’ve been interested in women and gender studies since an early age but it was really during my student life that my level of interest intensified. I graduated with a Masters in International Politics from JNU in 2010.

What does your role at CSR include?

I work in the Gender Training Institute (GTI). I mainly plan and execute workshops on gender sensitisation with college students, police, teachers and government officials. I am also the intern coordinator, which involves responding to applications and interviewing prospective interns. I also write articles for the CSR blog, work on awareness campaigns, and assist with our ‘Women in Democracy’ project.

What is the most interesting thing you have learned during your internship about women in politics?

I’m interested in the role reservation has played at the Panchayat level to empower women politically. These women exhibit confidence and provide hope for a more gender-inclusive political system in India.

What do you like most about living in Delhi?

I am a foodie and a history freak so Delhi is a perfect place for me to fulfill both of those passions! I love visiting old monuments and places of historical relevance, and trying all of the food that the city has to offer.

By Rana Kattan, a Centre for Social Research intern in the Media and Communication Department. Rana is a recent graduate of McGill University in Canada.

It was definitely the hottest day I’ve seen so far. Armed with a bottle of sunscreen, chilled water and a cap protecting my head, I was anticipating a scene unlike any I’ve been exposed to before. With minimal expectations and preconceptions, I was only certain we were headed towards one of our four Crisis intervention Centres in Delhi, particularly the one in Uttam Nagar, West Delhi for a community meeting to discuss women’s health, network progress and education.

The narrowing streets with filled with children playfully running, sweet shops on the pavement, dogs and cattle dozing the heat away signaled that we’ve reached our destination. I stepped into the centre itself, which young women covered like a carpet and was greeted by the crowd with wide, enthusiastic eyes. Stationed at the other end of the room were the CSR counselors. Two large fans ventilated the room, but were hardly sufficient to combat the heat. Interestingly enough, that didn’t seem to dampen the young women’s eagerness to listen and participate in today’s discussion. Once all was settled, the CSR counselors brought fourth the topics on the agenda: starting with women’s health concerns, as my fellow interns interpreted for me. Although the girls seemed thrilled to voice their opinions, the topic took a turn when a man and women entered the room to join the counselors at their desk.  While it was difficult for me to fathom what they had come for, a scan of the young women’s facial expressions indicated they shared my curiosity.

As the man proceeded with his speech, I was able to detect the words “English Language”, “Computer Education” and “Personality Development”. I asked one of our Indian interns, Pallavi, for the interpretation necessary for me to connect the dots. Then, I understood that these newcomers represented an NGO named “Etasha” and were here to share with the local community the services they targeted at young women (especially those from a disadvantaged background and lacking access to a proper education despite passing the required examinations). These services included vocational training a, as well as a more inclusive, career guidance program for which the vast majority of attendees (seemingly between 14 and 20 years old) were eligible.

At this point, the floor was yielded to a woman Ms. Anindita Kar Gupta, who explained the concept and emphasized the importance of organised sectors, focusing on the service sector (such as areas of customer care) and how Etasha provided placement for young graduates in these sectors. Perhaps merely due to the fact that she was a woman, a factor that served as a strong common bond with the young listeners, the audience instantly perked up, seeming more open and interactive with her. The offering of refreshments and freshly cooked Samosas (a personal favourite) marked the end of the CIC meeting, with the young women quickly rushing back to their interrupted daily routines. The key representatives from the two NGOs remained behind to roughly sketch a collaborative action plan and stipulate the responsibilities of each party.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to pick up any Hindi from that trip. However, applying my observation skills enabled me to squeeze out some valuable life lessons. These young women set an example of how persistence and determination can yield vast crops out of tiny seeds and minimal resources, while CSR and Etasha’s unfaltering commitment and cooperation symbolized the fertilizers constantly nourishing the growth and development of these seeds.

Hot on the heels of our recent gender sensitisation training at telecom company Aircel, Centre for Social Research’s Gender Training Institute (GTI) also recently conducted a training entitled “Gender Sensitisation and Sexual Harassment at Workplace” at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Attended by RBI’s Grade 1 and Grade 2 officers, the training aimed to sensitise participants on gender-related concepts in order to bring about increased levels of awareness, knowledge and skills about gender relations in the workplace, especially focusing on sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment in the workplace first rose to national attention in 1992, when Bhanwari Devi, a Rajasthan state government employee, was fighting against child marriage and polygamy. After Bhanwari decided to openly discuss the matter with a local Panchayat (village council), she was brutally gang-raped. When Bhanwari’s rapists were acquitted in court, several women’s groups filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India under a collective platform named “Vishakha.” The court case (Vishakha and others vs. State of Rajasthan and others, 1997) demanded justice for Bhanwari Devi and included a plea for the court to address the sexual harassment that women face in the workplace. Eventually, the Supreme Court issued a judgment now known as the “Vishakha Guidelines.”

Our own anti-sexual harassment training at RBI was a two-way learning process for our GTI trainers and staff members, as we believe that sharing experiences can bring about changes in everyone’s attitudes and behaviours.  The training had three major objectives: understanding the concept of gender, understanding the importance of taking gender into consideration when making decisions, and promoting gender-friendly workplaces. Regarding sexual harassment, participants were exposed to the “three Rs” of handling unwelcome sexual advances, passes or comments: respond, record and report. GTI representatives also recommended adjustments to RBI’s current sexual harassment policies, including the organisation of a committed, made up of at least 50 percent women, which can handle cases of sexual harassment confidentially and swiftly.

Hostile or uncomfortable work environments often lead to emotional, psychological and physical problems on an individual level, as well as poor efficiency on an organisational level. CSR hopes to work with more organisations in the future to ensure that as few companies and employees as possible suffer the consequences of sexual harassment. For more information on booking a gender training anywhere in India, visit our website or call us at +91 (0)11 26899998.

While our Gender Training Institute (GTI) has been providing gender sensitisation trainings since the late 1990s, most of our trainings have targeted government agencies, police officers, international and national institutions and NGOs. This March 8, International Women’s Day, Centre for Social Research was proud to provide gender sensitisation training to telecom company Aircel here in New Delhi.

Niharika Puri, GTI’s programme coordinator, led the training. Nearly 30 Aircel employees, both men and women, participated in discussions and interactive presentations. To introduce the training, Niharika demonstrated just how common gender stereotypes really are: Asked to provide common names for doctors and farmers, participants overwhelmingly named men as farmers and women as doctors. However, the vast majority of Indian farmers are in fact women, and gender stereotypes cause all of us to make generalisations that are not always true.

Vikram Sheoran, CSR’s web manager and all around technology guru, showed off his acting skills in a series of role plays with Niharika demonstrating how women can react in situations where she she’s made to feel uncomfortable by the behaviour of a male colleague. Leela Khanna, an intern in our Media and Communication department, opened up a question and answer round by comparing gender portrayals within and across different countries.

GTI provides tailor-made training programs through close collaboration with each of our clients. Our trainings address designated issues within the context of gender, from deconstructing the basic concept of gender itself, to exploring how gender can be mainstreamed in organizational planning.  For more information on booking a gender training anywhere in India, visit our website or call us at +91 (0)11 26899998.

By Mohita Gupta, an intern [Ed. note: as of June 2011, staff member] in the Gender Training Institute at Centre for Social Research

Last week some of thee other interns and I got to see firsthand the work being done in CSR’s Crisis Intervention Centres (CICs). These centres provide women in Delhi with free support services, helping, among others, those who have been affected by domestic abuse.

Upon our arrival in Chattarpur, one of the local women community leaders shared with us her story. She tragically lost her husband after only a few days of marriage. Unfortunately, instead of getting the support and help that she needed from her new family, she faced shocking violence and abuse. Her in-laws beat her, trying to get her to leave her home so they could have all the property to themselves. She also faced sexual harassment from her brother-in-law, who threatened to kill her if she complained to her own family or the police. Eventually, her neighbours called her father, who then called the CIC. With their help she was rescued and her abusers where put in jail. Unfortunately they were released after only a few days. Such light punishments and the difficulty in attaining justice lead many women to suffer in silence. Many also fear the social stigma and insults from other members of the community that can come with speaking out against members of their husband’s families.

Today’s CIC meeting of women was held within the home of a member of the community. Some husbands are reluctant to let their wives go to the CSR centre, so having the meetings in homes means more can attend. This also provides a more comfortable atmosphere that allows everyone to feel more at ease as they discuss difficult topics. About 30 women attended today’s meeting, with some holding close their daughters and sons as they talked. For a few this was their first time, while others had been coming for the last few months. One or two of the women present had been attending meetings for years. While many of the women knew each other, some were related. One woman had even taken along her own daughter-in-law.

The centrepiece of the meeting was a passionate but productive discussion on marriage, especially the experiences and expectations of new brides. Older participants recommended keeping a list of possessions that brides bring into their new homes, so their in-laws do not try and steal their possessions. As some of the other visiting interns are from abroad, we also joined in and shared stories about marriage in different countries. Sharing and exchanging our different views highlighted the lack of awareness that many women had of their own rights. Some asked if there were laws against married women working or going out of the home, so the meeting leader ended the discussion with a short presentation on what marriage-related laws really do exist in India.

By Leela Khanna, a Centre for Social Research intern from Colorado, USA. Leela will be attending Bard College in New York this autumn.

Before I attended a gender sensitization training at one of CSR’s Crisis Intervention Centres (CICs), I perceived it would be a meeting full of a bunch of hard-nosed men who couldn’t see eye-to-eye with anything our counselors were saying. But as soon as I walked into the small room where the training was taking place, I realized my preconceived notions were far from true.

The men, sitting in a circle around the counselor, hardly noticed us (a group of young women from outside their community, and some from outside their country) as we walked in. Most of them looked as though they were in their early twenties, and from what it sounded like, the majority of them were already married. But what I was most shocked by was how receptive the crowd was to everything Rekha, the Centre counselor, was saying. They paid close attention to her when she gave them advice on having a happy marriage, told them about laws against violence and dowry, and even narrated personal experiences she had had while working in the field. A few of the younger men even shared their own stories or asked questions. What was even more impressive was how Rekha was able to hold the attention of not only the group of men but also the entire room. Everything she said was understandable and relatable. It was evident the men of the community respect her and listen to what she has to say. There seemed to be a mutual understanding amongst the group and a desire to actively take part in implementing change. While the meeting was reassuring and showed that we’re on the right track, now I’m left wondering how we can extend that understanding and respect throughout the entire community, getting men to listen to what all women have to say.

Yesterday CSR hosted an in-office program to sensitise women from our grassroots communities in Delhi on gender-related issues in the recent news. Participants included members of the CSR office team, counsellors from each Crisis Intervention Centre, their assistant counsellors and girls and women from several different communities spread across the Delhi area. We designed the program to increase participants’ confidence and provide them with a comfortable and safe forum for sharing their experiences.

The program was divided into a morning and afternoon session. Activities included an ice breaking session, a discussion among the women regarding the violence faced at home and communities, a movie screening (Impossible Dream, which attracted lots of cheers from the group!) and finally a collage-making arts project on the topic of Chuppi Todho (breaking the silence).

View the full photo gallery from this event at Centre for Social Research’s Flickr account.