‘I am a boy and I am a feminist’, reads the poster created by Abhiram Rachamadugu from Aditi Mallya School in Bengaluru.
The poster, presented in a comic format, stresses the need for boys to proudly call themselves feminists, dispelling the misconception that it is a term reserved for women. Fourteen-year-old Abhiram, who volunteers at Vijay Foundation Trust, created the poster to highlight the point that gender equality is intrinsic to the development of a society.
Releasing the poster, Collector Ch. Hari Kiran underscored the importance of instilling the values such as feminism in children and suggested the poster be displayed in schools across the district. Vijay Foundation Trust president P.V. Sandhya, member Durga Kumari and Bonnie Zaire, a professor from Virginia Tech University (USA), took part.
The series of cartoons in the poster, presented in the form of a conversation between two boys and an elderly man, deals with serious issues like foeticide, infanticide and dowry. The aim was to drive home the point that these should be a matter of concern to everyone, regardless of the gender.
Self-awareness workshop
Meanwhile, a Kadapa-based NGO, Aarti Home, involved for over two decades in the job of empowering girls, is conducting a four-day self-awareness workshop for adolescent girls and boys starting January 2.
Sponsored by the USA-based Women’s Education Project (WEP) and Virginia Tech University, the meet aims to educate children about biological changes and make them feel confident about their bodies. Over 150 children, especially from the under-privileged sections, will participate in the workshop.
