\u201cIt is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.\u201d-Emma Watson<\/p>
Taking a progressive step to propagate the idea of inclusivity and initiate a meaningful conversation\u00a0 about diverse groups,\u00a0 the Gender Club of Strawberry Fields High School organised a webinar on Gender identity, an issue that has not appeared at the surface of many discussions and forums, till recently. The event was graced by two eminent speakers, who have not only contributed greatly to their area of specialisation but also possess great power and capacity to transform the social landscape at large.<\/p>
We had with us , Ms. Rainuka Dagar, an internationally acknowledged\u00a0 research professional, who is \u00a0an alumnus of the Advanced International Programme on Conflict Resolution (PACS) Uppsala University, Sweden. Prof. Rainuka has researched extensively on gender inequalities and gender based violence, empirically examining the politics of gender constructs. \u00a0We were also joined by\u00a0 Ms.\u00a0 Deepti Gupta, an esteemed Professor at the\u00a0 Department of English and\u00a0 Cultural studies , Panjab University. With a teaching experience of over 36 years, ma\u2019am has worked with more than twenty universities on their curriculum redesign.<\/p>
Ms. Deepti Gupta\u00a0 initiated the conversation by providing clarity on the fundamental\u00a0 differences between sex, gender and gender identity. Firstly, while sex is\u00a0 a biological construct ,gender is largely a social construct; and gender identity is a person\u2019s sense of who they are. Secondly, it is pertinent that we understand Gender as a spectrum rather than as a set of two binaries. She gave us an insight into the historical perspective as well. Many of the old Hindu temples depict sculptures and pictures of persons with\u00a0 preference for the same sex. This kind of temple art can also be seen in the monastic\u00a0Ajanta\u00a0and\u00a0Ellora\u00a0caves in Maharashtra.\u00a0She further developed the themes by throwing light on the role\u00a0 of literature and portrayal of transgenders in the writings of eminent authors around the world. Literary works depict every individual as they are and as having experiences emotions just like a person whose biological sex aligns with their sense of who they are. It does not disregard a person because of their identity. Finally at present, the increasing use of gender pronouns at workplaces and organisation is indicative of inclusivity but we must also consider ensuring\u00a0\u00a0 equality, representation\u00a0 and dignity to\u00a0 people whose identity does not conform with their biological sex.<\/p>
Ms. Rainuka highlighted central aspects surrounding gender identity and neutrality. To begin with, she\u00a0 informed\u00a0 the audience to understand the range of the collective identities like sex, caste, religion etc. , to examine\u00a0 the issue of\u00a0 gender identity in India. Additionally, we must understand the interplay between host of other gender -related issues faced by men and women and issues relating to gender identity, to get a complete\u00a0 picture of the issue at hand. Prof. Rainuka\u00a0 also\u00a0 provided an account of legislations and discussed the role of judiciary in recognising the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community in this regard. An interesting point of her deliberation included emphasis on cultural variations regarding gender identity and expression. Sweden, for example, has gender neutral washrooms\u00a0 and has\u00a0 recently enacted a law to provide\u00a0 legality to\u00a0 sex- change. Finally, it is crucial to pay attention to social and psychological aspects related to gender identity particularly, abuse, violence\u00a0 and\u00a0 dysphoria.<\/p>
Both the speakers provided students, with a list of books and movies centred around the theme- gender identity. Following this, questions from the audience were addressed by the speakers and they were delighted to\u00a0 see inquisitiveness amongst\u00a0 the students.\u00a0 The session concluded with the speakers emphasising\u00a0 the role of youth and students in bringing the a shift towards an open-minded society . And what is required is\u00a0 a platform for dialogue and\u00a0 discussion about the inclusivity of people with diverse gender identities , sensitising the younger generations about the importance of respecting everyone, regardless of gender\u00a0 identity or sexual orientation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cIt is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.\u201d-Emma WatsonTaking a progressive step to propagate the idea of inclusivity and initiate a meaningful conversation\u00a0 about diverse groups,\u00a0 the Gender Club of Strawberry Fields High School organised a webinar on Gender identity, an issue that has not…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n