Mukti VOICE Team Started Campaign on Gender Discrimination

20 members of Mukti VOICE Women Action Group of Purba Sridharpur have decided to organize 4 campaigns to challenge the prevailing gender social norms in our society (discriminating work between boys and girls) through interesting games. There will be 4 campaigns in 1 month at different places. The purpose of the campaign is to convince society that there is no shame or discomfort if males and females do gender role reversal works. A total of 350 villagers attended this program and among them, around 60 women, men and adolescents participated in these games.

The campaign started on 23rd December 2022 and it was organized at Utthan Smriti Mancha ground at Purba Shridharpur village. Games like quizzes, gender role reversal games for male villagers (like making Rotis, folding mosquito nets, making syrup etc) and a free kick for women (scoring the highest goals in 5 chances) had been organized. Through these games, the VOICE team attempted to spread the message that there is no gender discrimination in doing work. All men and women are capable of doing any kind of work and in some cases, they may be able to do it better than the opposite gender.

The VOICE women’s group also performed a street play named “Amar bari kothay?” (Where is my home). The subject of the play was some of the current narratives of society about women. As soon as a girl is born in our society, she is taught to believe that she is born for her in-law’s house and she is taught likewise. On the other hand, if she wants to do anything according to her will in her father-in-law’s house, she is told to go to her father’s house. The girl’s mind gets shattered by this action and then she started thinking then where is her own home? The play ends by placing this issue as an open question before the audience. This message is also spread among women that what women can do to establish themselves in such a position in society.

Winners of the games were felicitated with a jute bag.