Memoir of a trainer

She felt a sense of responsibility as she walked through the corridor to the class of B.Pharmacy in one of the most reputed colleges across Pune.

It wasn’t the title of soft skill and life skill trainer or College accreditation that filled her with these feelings instead it was the topic she was going to introduce the class to. She had fought and won over today’s concept since childhood and finally was efficient enough to enlighten students and make them realize its pros and cons. As she entered the class she was greeted with warm excitement and cheer from a crowd of 60 aspiring girls and boys. She knew they expected training on interviews, conversation, Group discussion but today she was about to deal with the elephant in the room.

Excited as always she broke the ice and started the class with a quick recap of the previous day.

Pages fluttered, hands raised and a few whispers filled the auditorium. Post the recap when she sensed it was the right time to hammer the nail on the head she asked everyone to make 2 columns and announced the 1st question. Which jobs/work do you think is done only by men. I do not want physical differences quickly jot down, jobs you think only men can do and only women can do. Boys will write for men and girls will answer for women. The whispers grew into commotion as opposite genders started writing and discussing the answer. A boy answered Heavy weight-carrying loads, followed by a girl –parlor ,makeup. She partitioned the board in two halves and graciously accepted all answers. The boys column was now filled with answers like earning money, army, navy, bouncers, merchant navy etc while the girls column was filled with answers like babysitting, wearing heels, cooking, saree draping etc.

Though students answered there was also a sense of disagreement creeping from a small bunch who stared at her confused. Some girls and boys fumed with disappointment and revolt after hearing answers from fellow students. After all answers discussed she skillfully rubbed the title men, women and interchanged them, and gazed at the class like the wise old Chanakya. She asked a question again; now I have interchanged columns how many of you really think these women jobs cant be done by men and men jobs by women. Realization dawned upon the already wise students and everybody slowly and sheepishly accepted it was true that both the genders could handle any work and were equal in potential.

Victory radiated her face as she introduced the topic loud and clear for the class “Gender equality and gender sensitization” She did not ask but declared bold and confidently both genders are equal, she shared examples of men who were in beauty industry, women who joined the armed forces, ran businesses, women who worked in mines and men who handled homes. With each example the class experienced wow moments and she was appreciated with nods, claps and sense of respect for bringing up this life changing topic.

The class bubbled with excitement of learning as she spoke about gender bias, why women are responsible for creating a weak, image, how both genders need to be sensitive and supportive towards each other, how we can uproot gender bias by being responsible individuals etc.

As a trainer she was filled with lot of content and satisfaction that she could imbibe right beliefs in her students. None of them realized that it was time for a short break, to conclude on a happy note she confidently threw a question “How many girls can cook?” she wanted to be sure if she had brought about a transformation with regard to gender sensitization. As soon as she popped the question around 10 girls raised hands confidently, smiling and to her horror the other 25 who did not; had a conventional guilt on their face while they were instantly shamed and laughed at by the boys for not knowing how to cook. She fairly hid her disappointment as a trainer and asked the second question expecting a change “How many boys can cook ?”Around 7 of them raised hands and to her dismay this time they were appreciated by loud cheers, hoots, awws and deafening claps from girls and boys as if they had achieved something beyond expectations.

The class left for a break buzzing and laughing, leaving just one person staring at the partitioned board ,with chalked hands and a disappointed heart of a trainer and a WOMAN……..