Growing up as Boys and Girls and Women change the world

• In Samoa in the 1920s, children did not go to school and learned household work and childcare from older children and adults
• Both boys and girls in Samoa used to do household work
• In Madhya Pradesh in the 1960s, boys and girls went to separate schools from class 6 onwards
• Girls' school had a central courtyard for playing in seclusion and safety, while boys' school had a big space attached for a playground
• Girls in Madhya Pradesh went in groups due to fears of being teased or attacked
• Housework and caregiving tasks are mainly the responsibility of women
• The work women do within the home is not recognized as work and is assumed to come naturally to women
• Women do tasks like fetching water, carrying heavy head loads of firewood, washing clothes, cleaning, sweeping, and picking up loads that require bending, lifting, and carrying
• Women's work is hard, physically demanding, time-consuming, and they spend more time working than men
• The Indian Constitution promotes equality and prohibits discrimination based on gender
• Inequality between the sexes exists despite the constitutional principle of equality
• The government of India has taken actions to address gender inequality, such as promoting girl education, setting up Anganwadis (child-care centers), and passing laws mandating crèche facilities for organizations with more than 30 women employees
• In the 19th century, new ideas about education and learning emerged, leading to the increased commonality of schools and the education of children in communities that had previously not focused on reading and writing
• There was opposition to educating girls in the 19th century, with beliefs that educated women would bring bad luck to their husbands and become widows
• Rashsundari Devi, a housewife from a rich landlord's family, taught herself how to read and write in secret despite the belief that educated women would bring bad luck
• Today, both boys and girls attend school in large numbers, but there are still differences in the education of boys and girls
• Reasons why children from Dalit, Adivasi, and Muslim communities leave school include:

  • Lack of proper schools and teachers in rural and poor areas
  • Schools being far away from homes without available transport for girls
  • Financial constraints leading to preference for educating boys
  • Discrimination faced from teachers and classmates
• Women's Movement:

  • Women and girls now have the right to study and go to school
  • Women's situation has improved in legal reform, violence, and health
  • The struggle for women's rights is known as the Women's Movement
  • Different strategies have been used to spread awareness, fight discrimination, and seek justice for women
• Campaigning:

  • Campaigns have led to the creation of new laws, such as the 2006 law against domestic violence
  • Guidelines were formulated in 1997 to protect women against sexual harassment at the workplace and in educational institutions
  • Dowry laws were changed to punish families seeking dowry
• Showing Solidarity:

  • The women's movement involves showing unity with other women and causes