{"id":710,"date":"2018-05-21T03:40:36","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T03:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/prakriye\/?p=710"},"modified":"2018-10-14T09:56:15","modified_gmt":"2018-10-14T09:56:15","slug":"learning-personal-is-political-and-so-much-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.itforchange.net\/prakriye\/2018\/05\/21\/learning-personal-is-political-and-so-much-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning ‘personal is political’..and so much more.."},"content":{"rendered":"
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In problem-posing education, people develop their power to perceive critically the way <\/span><\/span><\/span>they exist in the world with which and in which they find themselves; they come to see the world not as a static reality, but as a reality in process, in transformation<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2013<\/span> Paulo Freire<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At Prakriye, the pedagogy was inspired by Paulo Freire \u2018s philosophy of the critical education for empowerment and social change. Subsequently, the focus is on learning through reflections and dialogues. In the second phase of Dhwanigalu, the curriculum was updated drawing from lessons learned from the first phase. The team also incorporated some learning resources created by the students of the SRISHTI school of Art, Design and Technology in 2016 in to the session plan. Even though the participants shared some common characteristics, there were cultural differences as well, especially in the tribal area. Subsequently, the session content and content delivery<\/span><\/span> were<\/span><\/span> altered in each locality to be context appropriate and meet the needs of the students.<\/span><\/span> Thus, the pedagogy<\/span><\/span> has been flexible and<\/span><\/span> continuously evolving.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding Gender Roles<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding Gender Roles<\/span><\/span> was the very first module transacted after the orientation session.<\/span><\/span> Here, the facilitator and the students discussed their understanding of sex, gender,<\/span><\/span> the difference between the two<\/span><\/span> and the<\/span><\/span> gender roles practised in the society.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A body mapping activity<\/span><\/span> was<\/span><\/span> conducted to<\/span><\/span> explain the<\/span><\/span> changes<\/span><\/span> that occur in<\/span><\/span> the body during adolescence.<\/span><\/span> Initially, the girls were very hesitant to draw<\/span><\/span> the body map.<\/span><\/span> They were also shy to name certain body parts. However, after<\/span><\/span> the<\/span><\/span> encouragement<\/span><\/span> from the staff,<\/span><\/span> they<\/span><\/span> began to<\/span><\/span> participate<\/span><\/span> and<\/span><\/span> label<\/span><\/span> the<\/span><\/span> body parts and changes<\/span><\/span> in the picture.<\/span><\/span> They became more comfortable<\/span><\/span> discussing these topics<\/span><\/span> as session progressed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Body Mapping<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Women\u2019s\u2019 empowerment requires freeing the imagination of women and girls enabling them to dream beyond traditionally prescribed gender roles in the patriarchal society. With the aim of deconstructing these roles, the team facilitated a discussion with the girls regarding the work undertaken by men and women in the village. Most of the girls expressed the belief that that women will not be able to engage in labour-intensive activities such as driving, chopping firewood, tilling, ploughing or lifting large stones\/rocks for construction of the buildings.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The team took note of this and screened the short film Namma akkandira nodi<\/a> (Look at our Sisters). This<\/span> Kannada<\/span> film<\/span> was produced by the Prakriye team<\/span> and it<\/span> featured the<\/span> Mahila Samakhya Members<\/span> from nearby villages engaging in ploughing, chopping<\/span> firewood, driving a bullock cart and<\/span> using computers.<\/span> It was a deliberate choice to screen<\/span> videos featuring women<\/span> from the neighbouring localities so that the<\/span> girls will find<\/span> it easy to visualise and relate with the<\/span> examples.<\/span> The participants<\/span> were quite<\/span> enraptured by the<\/span> film<\/span> and<\/span> the screening led to<\/span>  a lively discussion.<\/span> Interestingly, after watching the film, girls<\/span> were able to recollect women from the neighbouring areas<\/span> who engaged in<\/span> similar<\/span> \u2018masculine\u2019<\/span> activities.<\/span> They had previously regarded these women as anomalies and had not given much thought to such examples.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Some girls were still sceptical about women’s capacity to do<\/span> labour-intensive tasks while some<\/span> others felt that it is<\/span> the<\/span> social norms that are<\/span> restricting them. Towards the end, after an intense debate, they reached<\/span> the conclusion that women<\/span> are capable of doing any work as long as they are determined enough.<\/span> A girl from Jakkahalli quipped that now they have come to realise that \u2018Manasu Iddalle Marga\u2019<\/i> (where there is a will there is a way).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Movie screening<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A power game was also played as part of the module.<\/span> This activity was aimed at making the girls realise the structured oppression<\/span> and marginalisation, women experience in a patriarchal society. In this activity, the students were divided into two groups and one group was asked to role-play as boys. They were asked a series of questions and asked to<\/span> take one<\/span> step<\/span> forward if their answer to that query was affirmative. The questions were related to<\/span> food distribution at home, mobility, access to higher education, access to public spaces, autonomy over choice of dressing, decision-making power and freedom to choose a life partner. The game started with both groups standing parallel to each other. However, by the time game ended, the group who role-played as boys were far ahead of the girls group.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Power Game<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The girls<\/span> were taken aback by the<\/span> gap<\/span> that appeared<\/span> between \u2018girls\u2019 and \u2018boys\u2019. While they were aware of the existing inequalities, the power game and the subsequent discussion, enabled them to see<\/span> the gender based discrimination in its totality and made them realise<\/span> that it is deeply embedded in social structure.<\/span> This realisation that \u2018personal is political\u2019 is very much necessary for the  formation of a political consciousness and feminist solidarity. The girls also admitted to feeling<\/span> disturbed<\/span> by the difference<\/span> and<\/span> expressed a desire to \u2018move forward in the line\u2019 as in<\/span> improving the status quo.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n