The Canadian embassy, in collaboration with non-government organisation Bhoomika Vihar, will create gender youth speakers in city colleges to work towards raising awareness on gender-based discrimination.
Bhoomika Vihar signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Canadian embassy in this regard last week. According to the deal, 30 gender youth speakers will be selected from AN College, Shri Arvind Mahila College and Dr Zakir Hussain Institute by the end of September.
The gender youth speakers are supposed to get a pledge form signed by students of all other institutions, which bars them in indulging in any kind of gender discrimination.
The student leaders also have to organise many activities on the same issue.
Bhoomika Vihar director Shilpi Singh said: "According to the plan, 10 gender youth speakers, including boys and girls, from each of the three institutions would be selected. We have decided to include male students in the programme also because gender equality cannot be realised until and unless men understand its importance because in society, it's mainly women who have to face discrimination."
"If male members of the family are aware of such condition, they would stop the discrimination. In all three institutions in Patna, from where we select gender youth speakers, a <>separate committees would also be formed with academicians, gender youth speakers and social activists."
The NGO director added: "The embassy is launching this programme in India, Bangladesh and Nepal simultaneously. In the later phase of the programme, the gender youth speakers (who would be basically the college students) from all three different countries would share their experiences with each other," said Singh.
Varnika Agarwal, a Part II student of Shri Arvind Mahila College, hailed the initiative, saying that the best part was that male students were also going to be involved in the drive.
"I think such drives can be launched at the school-level because that's the time when the thought process of children start taking shape," said Agarwal.
