Category Archives: India’s Daughters

Studyhall Educational Foundation is launching a campaign called “India’s daughters: Unwanted, Unsafe, Unequal”. We invite the entire Studyhall family, students, alumni, teachers, parents and others to join us as we raise our voice and consciousness against gender violence and gender inequality in India in particular and in the world in general. The campaign will include online and offline activites which will be announced on our website. Please participate in the discussions by writing blogs and comments and encourage your family and friends to do the same. Let us all work together towards an egalitarian social order.

“Equality is an important aspect of democracy,” says Asim Arun, Minister of State social welfare at IDC award ceremony

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Lucknow: “Equality is an important aspect of democracy. Being democratic means that we believe and treat everyone equally. It is important to educate our boys that girls are equal and they have to work together to strengthen democracy and I am glad that Study Hall Educational Foundation is working towards educating everyone for equality and social justice,” said Asim Arun, Minister of State, Social Welfare at the India’s Daughters Campaign award ceremony. 

Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF) organized the annual India’s Daughters Campaign (IDC) award ceremony on Tuesday. As a part of the campaign, discussions on patriarchy were organized in 1700 schools and 2 lakh children from all districts of Uttar Pradesh participated in the campaign. Drama competition, film making, poster making, essay and poem writing competitions were conducted and an amount of 1 lakh 54 thousand was distributed among the winners as scholarship. Mr P K Tripathi, Joint Director of Samj Kalyan was also present. Members from organisations like – UNICEF, Room To Read, AIDWA, AALI, Jijiwisha Society, Robin Hood Army, DIET and Manavsrijan were also present.

Dr Urvashi Sahni, founder and CEO of SHEF said, “Congratulations to the winners as well as all the children who participated in our campaign. Our campaign urges men and boys to change. When we talk about equality, it is imperative to include boys and men in the conversation. They must learn that patriarchy is cruel, unfair, unjust to women and girls and nothing can change if we don’t teach our boys and men to annihilate patriarchal structures and establish an egalitarian one instead.”

For the past two years, boys have become the focus of the IDC. The theme of this year’s campaign was – It’s time for men and boys to change, which focused on educating boys and men to fight patriarchy and become advocates and champions of gender justice. In  the last 12 years, SHEF through IDC has successfully mobilized over 11 lakh community members and raised awareness regarding girl’s rights and gender based violence.

Photo courtesy: DSH Team

Over 40 NGOs join hands with SHEF to educate men and boys to become activists and advocates of gender justice

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Lucknow: India’s Daughters’ Campaign (IDC) called on fellow NGOs to join forces to mobilize and educate men and boys to become activists and champions of gender justice. Over 40 NGOs and government officials participated in the meeting. Representatives from organizations like – Suraksha, Prayatna, AALI, Millan, Action Aid, Vatsalya, Shabhagi Sikshan Kender and AMS along with representatives from government schools. 

“The purpose of this alliance, which is still taking shape, stems from the fact that most efforts to address gender inequality focus solely on empowering girls and women. While a necessary part of the equation, it is also imperative that boys learn to fight, resist, and end sexist oppression” said Priyanka Saxena who is incharge of the India’s Daughters’ Campaign – an initiative of Study Hall Educational Foundation.  The IDC takes a unique approach by bringing boys and men to the center of the discussion on gender inequality. Dissecting the perils of patriarchy, the campaign focuses on why men should give up power and change. 

Dr Urvashi Sahni, founder and CEO of SHEF said, “Boys and men must learn to deconstruct the patriarchal conception of masculinity and reconstruct an egalitarian one in its place. They must learn to recognize girls and women as equal persons to themselves, develop a critical understanding of patriarchal structures that frame their lives, and develop a critical feminist consciousness.”

“If we want to amplify this joint effort, then we must start by redefining manhood and boyhood and breaking open what it means to be a boy or girl and let our children decide who they are.” said Ritu from Humsafar.

Most efforts to address gender inequality focus solely on empowering girls and women. While a necessary part of the equation, it is also imperative that boys learn to fight, resist, and end sexist oppression. IDC aims to mobilize and educate men and boys to become activists and advocates of gender justice. 

“You have to start teaching boys when they’re young, fathers need to set good examples for their sons. There is a lot of unlearning to be done.” Asiya, independent gender consultant.

Photo courtesy: DSH Team

India’s Daughter Campaign- Awareness march taken out against child marriage at Vidyasthali

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On 19th April 2019 Vidyasthali Kannar Inter College, Malihabad organised awareness march regarding child marriage and promoting girls education.This march was carried out in two villages, Narsing khera and Aatha. This march was a part India’s Daughter Campaign organised yearly by Study Hall Educational Foundation. This Campaign aims to raise awareness regarding girl’s rights and education.

More than 170 members participated in this and reached out to more than 500 community members. The students used slogans like “Bal Vivah Gulami Hai, Yeh Gulami Hume Rukwani Hai”, “Nari Ka Karo Sammaan, Tabhi Banega Desh Mahaan”. The students performed a ‘nukkad Natak’ to explain why child marriage should be forbidden. The students interacted with the community members and asked them take a pledge and say no to child marriage. They also took signatures of the community members.

India’s Daughters Campaign Rally
httpvh://youtu.be/esIOwhRUcSA


Panel discussion held on International Women’s Day

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On 8 March 2019, the Study Hall Educational Foundation organized a panel discussion on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The topic of this discussion was ‘Why the status of women in India is not a major election agenda’. This was held as part of annual India’s Daughters’ Campaign that Study Hall Educational Foundation conducts.
On this occasion, the guest Juhi Singh, spokesperson, Samajwadi Party, Rakesh Tripathi, spokesperson, Bhartiya Janta Party, Sadaf Jafar, spokesperson and Farah, member of Sheroes Hangout cafe were present and they discussed the topic.

The program started with the introduction of our esteemed guests. The discussion started with a very strong question asked by a Prerna Girls School student, Sapna Bharti. She asked, “I am a first-time voter. I want to ask why should I vote for a political party which does not have gender equality as a major issue on their manifesto?” The students continued to ask questions and our guests answered them.

In this discussion, Sadaf Jafar, spokesperson, Congress, said, “We must rise beyond political differences and collectively fight against structural violence that women face.” She also advised students, to read the manifesto of the party before voting and give the vote to a party which they think will help to build a better nation.

Juhi Singh, spokesperson, Samajwadi Party said, “We make event-based political agenda and we accept that. We will try and work on it. I see confident young women here who are capable of becoming strong political leaders in the future and I hope we will have more participation of women in politics in the future”.

Rakesh Tripathi, spokesperson, Bhartiya Janta Party, said, “women should stop believing they are weak and raise voice against the small issues they face, then only we can change the society”.

On this occasion, the parents of Prerna Girls School were also invited. For the last six years, the Aarohini Initiative organizes yearly India’s Daughters’ campaign that focuses on gender empowerment issues with the goal of raising awareness in the community about gender discrimination.

The program was concluded with the felicitation of the mothers of Prerna Girls School students and vote of thanks.

 

Indian’s Daughter Campaign 2018: Unwanted, Unequal and Unsafe

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प्रेरणा बालक/बालिका विद्यालय, स्टडी हाॅल स्कूल, व सेन्टर फाॅर लर्निंग के 400 विद्यार्थियों द्वारा, भारत की बेटियांः अनचाही, असमान और असुरक्षित विषय पर जागरूक्ता रैली निकाली, रैली स्टडी हाल स्कूल से निकल कर पटेलपुरम, मलेशा मऊ, खरगापुर, से होते हुए मकदूमपुर, गोमतीनगर पर समाप्त की गई। जिसमें लगभग 4000 लोगों तक बाल विवाह, छेड़छाड़ और लड़कियों के खिलाफ हो रही हिंसा को रोकने के लिए संदेश पहुंचाया गया। विद्यार्थियों ने नुकड नाटक किया, नारे लगाये व बाल विवाह कानून के बारे में लोगों को बता कर समुदाय के लोगों को जागरूक किया और उन्हे शपथ दिलाया कि वो अपने बच्चों का विवाह सही समय पर और उनकी इच्छा के अनुसार करेंगे और बच्चों की पढ़ाई में कोई बाधा नही आने देंगे।

स्टडी हाॅल ऐजुकेशनल फाउन्डेशन द्वारा पिछले 6 वर्षों से इन्डियाज़ डाटर कैम्पेन नाम से लड़कियों और औरतों के खिलाफ हो रही हिंसा के विरूद्व जागरूक्ता अभियान चालाया जा रहा है। प्रत्येक वर्ष की तरह इस वर्ष भी इन्डियाज़ डाटर कैम्पेन के अन्र्तगत भारत की बेटीयां, अनचाही, समानय, असुरक्षित मुद्दे पर पूरे उत्तर प्रदेश में जागरूक्ता अभियान चलाया जा रहा है। आज दिनांक 28/04/2018 को लखनऊ के चार क्षेत्रों में पटेलपुरम, मलेशा मऊ, खरगापुर, और मकदूमपुर, में जागरूक्ता रैली निकाली गई, जिसमें प्रेरणा बालक/बालिका विद्यालय, स्टडी हाॅल स्कूल, व सेन्टर फाॅर लर्निंग के 400 विद्यार्थियों ने प्रतिभाग किया। जिसमें विद्यार्थियों ने नाटक के द्वारा लोगों को जागरूक करने का प्रयास किया, नाटक देखने के बाद समुदाय की कई महिलाओं ने कहा कि उनका विवाह 14, 15 वर्ष की उम्र में ही हो गया था लेकिन अब वो अपनी बेटियों के साथ ऐसा नही होने देंगी। मकदूमपुर से असलम जी ने कहा कि लड़कियों के साथ हो रही हिंसा को रोकने के लिए पूरे समाज को साथ आना होगा, मेरी बहन का बाल विवाह हुआ था लेकिन अब मैं अपनी बच्चियों का बाल विवाह नही होने दूंगा। कुछ पुरूषों ने कहा कि समाज में लड़कियां सुरक्षित नही हैं इस लिए माॅ बाप उनकी शादी जल्दी कर देते हैं ताकि लड़की अपने घर की हो जाये। बच्चियों ने समुदाय को बाल विवाह कानून के बारे में बताते हुए समाज़ को लड़कियों के प्रति संवदेनशील होने व लड़कियों को भी एक नागरिक के रूप में स्वीकार करने की अपील की, साथ ही यह भी कहा कि बच्चियों का बाल विवाह करने या सुरक्षा के ड़र से पढ़ाई छुडा कर घर में बिठाने के बजाये लड़कों को शिक्षित व जागरूक करें ताकि लड़कियां अपनी जिन्दगी को खुल कर जी सकें।

A deep discussion on against child marriage

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The Study Hall School as part of the ongoing India’s Daughters Campaign 2017, organised an open discussion on ‘Child Marriage is a form of domestic violence’ on Thursday. Besides Study Hall School, students from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidlaya (Bakshi Ka Talab), Prerna Girls School and Vidyasthali also participated in the discussion.

India’s Daughters Campaign enters the ‘Mango Belt’

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Taking India’s Daughters Campaign 2017 to the rural areas of Lucknow, the Study Hall Educational Foundation’s Vidyashali School in Mahilabad organized an Awareness March against child marriage on May 17, 2017. The students of Vidyasthali participated in the march which started from the school and covered thoroughfare areas neighboring village Saliamau.

A street play – Bal Vivah Ghulami Hai – against child marriage was also staged at four different locations during the match.

Over 200 community members signed the petition against child marriage as part of the signature campaign.

This awareness march was preceded by a series of critical dialogues with the Vidyasthali students to build a deeper understanding of the detrimental social norms and to question malpractices like child marriage. Post these discussion children prepared placards and banners to take out in the community and also drafted the script for the street play which was staged during the march.

The procession made stops at local mosques and temples collected signatures of Faith Leaders on a pledge against child marriage.

Towards reforming Government schools in UP: A meeting with DyCM Dinesh Sharma

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Dr. Urvashi Sahni, President of Studyhall Educational  Foundation, met Dy CM Dinesh Sharma and discussed the state of primary and secondary education in Uttar Pradesh. Dr. Sahni, who is also a member of the Rajasthan chief minister’s advisory council (education), appraised Sharma about how administrative reforms in Rajasthan had lead to the migration of 10 lakh students from private schools to government schools in Rajasthan.

Prof Sharma showed the keen interest in knowing how the change was brought about in Rajasthan. He said that the current Yogi government was determined to bring about positive changes in primary and secondary education and he would like to discuss this further.

To this, Dr. Sahni explained that integration of primary and secondary school, reducing teacher vacancies, rationalization of teacher appointments based on the need of the school, a collection of accurate school data through a technology portal, Shaala darpan, along with increasing teacher accountability were among the major factors for change.

As a follow up of the meeting, Dy CM Dinesh Sharma suggested that he would like to arrange a presentation before the chief minister Yogi Aditynath and table her suggestions to chalk out the roadmap for educational reform in UP.

She also presented a memorandum to stop child marriage in UP as part of the India’s Daughters Campaign being run by the Study Hall Educational Foundation.

India’s Daughters Campaign – Rally taken out against child marriage

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The Study Hall Educational Foundation organized an awareness march against child marriage to launch its 5th India’s Daughters Campaign 2017 on April 1, 2017.
With over 200 participants the rally started from Gandhi Pratima in Hazaratganj and moved towards Jawahar Bhawan.
Students Prerna Girls School , 8 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Study Hall School, Vidyasthali and GyanSetu participated in the rally.
As a follow-up a memorandum against child marriage was given to the chief minister and the governor.
Naheed from Prayatna (NGO) said that this is a very good attempt to draw the attention of the crowd towards a very sensitive issue.
Dr Sahni added to her voice saying the onus is now on the state government to take this issue forward.
Mahant Diya Giri of Mankamneshwar Temple also spoke on the occasion and said the since the inception of the law against child marriage not a lot has changed and one of the major reasons for child marriage is illiteracy and lack of strict implementation of the law.
A Nukkad Natak titled Bal Vivah Ghulami Hai was also staged on the issue.
5 child marriage survivors also participated in the event.
One of the child marriage survivor Fatima Khatoon (name changed) said that had my teachers not saved me from the child marriage I would not had two kids by now and I would not be supporting my family through a job.
Mamta Singh, Humsafar, Neha Naidu, UNICEF, Swarnima Singh, Suraksha, Chhavi Jain, Suraksha, Naheed Aqueel, Prayatna, Shaista Ambar, All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board, Mohd. Idrees Ambar, All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board, Prof Nishi Pandey, Lucknow University, Rakhee Panjwani, Principal  Prerna Girls School, Kahkashaw Parween, Mahila Samakhya, Shubhagi, AALI, Jagdish Gupta, Mankamneshwar Math, Akhilesh Tiwari, Sarathi, Shipra Jha, Girls Not Brides, Neelofer Khan, Uttar Pradesh Police Mahila Samman Prakoshtha, J Ram, Social Welfare Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh , Swarnima Singh, Suraksha, Lucknow, Chhavi Jain, Suraksha, Lucknow, Prof Nishi Pandey, Institute of Women’s Studies, Lucknow University , Aftab Mohammad, CP Specialist. UNICEF, Shachi Sharma, Sahayog India, Deepika, Sahayog India and Ibrahim, Nadwa (Muslim Education Institution) also lent their voice to the rally.

India’s Daughters Campaign – Awareness March – Street Play – Bal Vivah Ghulami Hai – April 1, 2017
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoZZS6_eUMc
India’s Daughters Campaign – Awareness March – April 1, 2017 – Mankamneshwar Mahant Divya Giri
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgdY0JIZJkQ