UGC builds TaskForce for safety of Women on campus

A Task Force was constituted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in Jan 2013 to review the measures for ensuring safety of women on campuses and programmes for gender sensitization.

The Task Force is mandated to review the present arrangements on campuses for the safety and security of girls and women.

The state governments have been advised by the HRD ministry to promote Gender Sensitization and Safety for Women on Campuses. This includes curriculum and text books be re-examined and improved for gender positive materials and at least 2-3 days gender module be conducted with all teachers during the annual in-service training programmes.

The ministry also advised that school monitoring systems incorporate a checklist of such gender sensitive parameters that promote gender sensitivity in classroom transaction and school extra-curricular activities.

It has also proposed that from upper primary classes, physical education classes should include training in self-defense for girls.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is preparing the gender sensitization modules to train teachers and help students battle stereotypes against women from a young age.

Gender sensitivity training modules for teachers/ trainers will be in the form of advocacy programmes for sensitization and creating awareness. Also master trainer programme for identified and motivated counselors and nodal teachers.

The programmes will also include Gender Sensitivity teachers/ trainers manual and activity cards for students from classes 1 to 12. The latest syllabus on Health and Physical Education for Classes 1 to 10 developed by the National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) based on national Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 includes tpics related to self defence under the themes included for upper primary classes such as Human body, Security, Self Defence and protection of others and Social Health.

Th efforts have also been made to introduce value education and gender studies in school syllabus. The syllabus will include, introduction of value based questions on the summative assessment-II in classes 9-10 and year end examination of class 11-12 from the year 2012-13, publication of teacher's manual on environmental education and Adolescence Education and the Modules for Adolescence Education programme include related to gender sensitization.