null

Initiating A Dialogue Toward Inclusive Identities

by Deepa Bhalerao December 9 2015, 12:05 am Estimated Reading Time: 9 mins, 46 secs

“When was the first time you realised that you were a boy or a girl?”
This was one of the initial questions asked to ten year olds by the facilitators of gender education in schools during an action research program held in the Municipal schools of the M and the R ward in Mumbai between 2008 and 2011.

The responses set off the discussion which covered many aspects of gender and sexuality in the context of pre-teens. The answers were varied and interesting.

The following is a sample-

“When I was told not to play with the dolls like a girl.”
“When I was asked to help in the kitchen…”
“When I was told to cover my head when I step out….”
“When I was told not to cry…’
“When I was asked to sweep/mop when my brother spilled something…”
“When I was asked to speak in a low voice…”
“When I was asked to sit properly as my undergarments were showing.”

As this was an experimental intervention in schools we used the words gender and sexuality with great discretion. However, the insights were numerous and complex.

Some observations were-

Gender identities are internalised very early in life, sometimes as early as at two or three years of age
The do’s and don’ts of a gender role are steps toward incorporating compliance to these in the later years
Values like usefulness, economic importance, social acceptance and conformity are upheld through gender roles
Inequities are fostered through the existent strict social systems and rationalised as necessary for a greater good
There is a felt need to question these set gender identities but most are at a loss as to how to go about it
Children and adolescents respond to issues of gender and sexuality by observing the adults around them and internalising their values
Rebellion is expressed through abusive words, and violent behaviour
Certain kinds of abusive and violent behaviours are internalised when they are observed in the immediate community

During my interaction with children in the above study, discussions revealed that both children and parents are aware of the flip side of each gender construct. The feelings associated with the existing scenario swung from a sense of helplessness to an explicit defiance of what they considered unacceptable. Outrage at unequal pay for the same work, sadness at being underestimated for not contributing to the family income, feeling burdened with housekeeping and childcare which is not considered ‘work’, discontentment at being asked to behave in a certain way that befits their specific gender are among the many issues that bothered them immensely.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Today, most societies are striving towards an identity for the individual that is less fixed and more inclusive. There is rapid urbanization occurring in every country in the world and the basic ways of living are changing faster than ever. Globally, we are all more connected and more and more people are migrating to different countries across the world.

In such a scenario, along-with a change in the basic social structure, the way we express identities is also undergoing a shift from what it used to be even a few years ago. This shift is to a large extent owing to the way we communicate with each other today. In a global village, it has become easier to find resonance even if it is across the world. At the same time, ripples of any event are felt everywhere with minimal lag.

Gender and Sexuality are intricately linked. In most societies, gender norms are well outlined. While these serve their purpose, they also have their drawbacks. With changing times, there is a need for an update in these norms and this is usually where the problem lies.

All social issues are vast in their outreach. There also exists the element of individual perspective and subjectivity. These are challenges for any situation that requires changing, and even urban, upwardly mobile societies are no exception.

Gender and Sexuality influence all the aspects of a person’s life. They are deeply connected to identity, and therefore to everything that extends from this identity. There are many studies that have discovered that inequities are exacerbated by the existing gender bias, and these cover the range of life situations, which include economic status and opportunity, social status, and health, including mental health.

This is also evident in the discrimination that is experienced by different groups, be they women, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans-genders, queers and a-sexuals (LGBTQIA)

In fact, the social acceptance of the LGBTQIA is still a major issue the world over and therefore, public policy in different countries is far from inclusive for each of these categories.

(Ref- http://tahoesafealliance.org/for-lgbqtia/what-does-lgbtqia-mean/)

So what are the mechanisms to address gender and sexuality issues in a changing society?

As with any social intervention, initiating a dialogue is the first step. This would necessitate the creation of an atmosphere where the so-called accepted norms will be discussed and debated.

This dialogue needs to be initiated as early as possible. Many values are internalised and behaviours are formed in childhood and sometimes later interventions are not as effective in even young adulthood.

Ref- http://www.popcouncil.org/uploads/pdfs/horizons/yaaridostieng.pdf

In this digital age, where connectivity across the world is instantaneous and constant, there is a lot that can be achieved in the terms of information dissemination, popularizing of an idea and advocacy for its acceptance.

This is where channels of mass communication play a significant role. People are open to ideas and suggestions if these are not forced upon them. As with children who learn easily through interactive play as compared to tedious classroom sessions, so also the society accepts a presentation of ideas that does not seek to educate deliberately. Many a light-hearted conversation stems from an entertaining film or video or a magazine and slowly progresses to become the flavour of the season.

With media having become such an integral part of our lives, it can be utilised as an initiator of this important conversation.

As with books that portray human identities in their complex light, so also films (both features and documentaries), and television address these issues whether or not it is the principal focus of the presentation. The influence of a good story, well told is far larger than we can even begin to imagine.

My quest of what popular Marathi cinema offers as a response to this important question and yielded some interesting results. A few films which were very popular in their respective times are-

Jogwa ( The Awakening) ,2009 , is a Marathi language film based on the life of a rural people from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra who are the devotees of Goddess Yellamma, known as “Jogtin” (female) and “Jogta” (male), who are treated as slaves viewed with a mixture of semi-respect. Jogwa explores the inequities and the hypocrisy surrounding the socially imposed norms that seek to control the sexuality of these individuals condemned to a public life.

Umbartha/ Subah (1982) (Threshold) – is the story of a woman who wants to work in job of her choice and the hurdles she has to face to achieve that. Sulabha Mahajan (played by Smita Patil) is a woman who dreams to step out of the four walls of the house, assume greater responsibility as a citizen and play an important role in shaping the society. She has passion to do something constructive for the abused, assaulted, neglected and traumatized womenfolk of the society she lives in. She gets a job offer as Superintendent of a Women’s Reformatory Home in a remote town of Sangamwadi. The job offer raises objections from her lawyer husband Subhash (played by Girish Karnad) and conservative mother-in-law who refuse to understand her need to move to the town and work for rehabilitation of the women.

This film questions the rigid gender stereotyping that women in society have to endure and was a commentary on the difficulties that a woman faces if she wants a career and is not content with being a homemaker.

Jait Re Jait- (Win, win), 1977, is another Marathi language film which explores issues of gender and sexuality in the context of the Thakar tribe. The story focuses on the life and choices of a tribal woman who did not walk the beaten path. Even the lyrics of the songs which became popular express the sentiment of a woman’s liberation. This is notable as it was long before the gender discourse commenced in contemporary times.

These are just a few examples of how popular and entertaining content has and can address an issue that is as complex and sometimes difficult to articulate as gender and sexuality.

Issues of LGBTQIA are not yet a part of our popular discourse, and we have a long way to go before the issues of gender and sexuality find their rightful place in it. However, those few who have chosen to express themselves through art and popular media are an example for others.

A society is enriched by its creative communities. They have shown the light in times of confusion and uncertainty. The role of media cannot be overemphasized in contemporary times when we need to sustain a dialogue on inclusiveness which cannot be complete without addressing the essence of who we are, and learn to accept each other beyond the differences of gender and sexuality.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

1. Gender Issues In The Media-
http://www.etfo.ca/Resources/ForTeachers/Documents/Gender%20Issues%20in%20The%20Media.aspx

2. Media, Gender and Identity- An Introduction- David Gauntlett
http://www.theoryhead.com/gender/extract.htm

3. Challenging media and film stereotypes – UN Women
http://www.unwomen.org/~/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/csw/59/meetings/csw%202015-session%20on%20social%20norms_salinas%2013%20march_km.pdf

4. Are Women in the Media Only Portrayed As Sex Icons? Statistics Show a Massive Gender Imbalance Across Industries
http://mic.com/articles/4439/are-women-in-the-media-only-portrayed-as-sex-icons-statistics-show-a-massive-gender-imbalance-across-industries

5. Sex and Relationships in the Media
http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/media-issues/gender-representation/women-girls/sex-relationships-media

6. Slippery subjects: gender, meaning and the Bollywood audience
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/55211/1/__libfile_REPOSITORY_Content_Banaji,%20S_Slippery%20subjects_Banaji_Slippery%20subjects_2014.pdf

7. Construction of Masculinity in India- A gender and sexual health perspective
http://medind.nic.in/jah/t04/s1/jaht04s1p71g.pdf

8. 100 Years of Indian Cinema: Homosexuality in films
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/100-years-of-indian-cinema-homosexuality-in-films-593286.html

9.
http://doctorwhowatch.com/2015/10/24/doctor-who-more-on-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity/

10. The Sex Talk: A queer film at a theatre next to you
http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/XMrDyxOcCi4GUgqGHjUX7L/The-Sex-Talk-A-queer-film-at-a-theatre-next-to-you.html

11. A STUDY OF GENDER STEREOTYPES IN MARATHI MOVIE ‘TIME PLEASE’
https://www.academia.edu/15338400/A_STUDY_OF_GENDER_STEREOTYPES_IN_MARATHI_MOVIE_TIME_PLEASE_