AIMS Dental School, Kochi | October 18, 2023
A Gender Harmony Workshop – Phase 3 was conducted at AIMS Dental School, Kochi, as part of the continuing efforts to promote awareness, mutual respect and gender harmony among students. The one-hour session focused on Gender and Sex and provided participants with an opportunity to reflect on gender roles, social expectations and experiences of discrimination.
The session was conducted by Dr. Mahija Janardana, with Meenu Prakash and Radhika Shetty associated with the training programme.
Workshop Findings
A survey was administered to 29 students as part of the programme. The findings indicated that students generally did not perceive significant gender-based discrimination within their immediate homes. However, many participants noted that they continued to hear gender-insensitive or discriminatory remarks, particularly from older generations.
Students also expressed surprise when discussing the differences in financial literacy between men and women. Many felt that this was an area they had not previously considered in depth and expressed an interest in taking steps to help bridge the gap.
The discussions highlighted the importance of creating greater awareness of gender-related issues and encouraging students to reflect on how attitudes and social practices can influence opportunities and decision-making.
Observations from the Workshop
The workshop also generated several observations regarding the delivery and participation of students:
The class began approximately 35–40 minutes later than scheduled.
Some sessions extended beyond the expected duration.
Participants appeared more relaxed and engaged because they had an understanding of what the sessions would involve.
The participant strength was lower than in the previous session, with 8 participants compared with 10 previously.
The reduced attendance was attributed to the unavailability of Dr. Rakesh, who was on leave, and Dr. Krishna, who was assigned examination duty.
Some participants also had to attend to patients during the session.
Recommendations from the Director
Following the programme, the Director provided recommendations for strengthening and developing the Gender Harmony initiative. A key recommendation was to position the programme around gender harmony rather than gender equality, with the objective of promoting mutual respect and harmony rather than suggesting that women should adopt traditionally male roles.
The recommendations included:
Rename the initiative as a “Gender Harmonisation Course” rather than a Gender Equality course.
Clarify the distinction between the goals of equality and harmony, and explore why gender harmony may provide a more appropriate framework for the programme.
Recognise and value skills traditionally passed from one generation to another, including tailoring, sewing, crochet and embroidery, which may sometimes be undervalued despite their cultural and practical significance.
Make compassion and respect the cornerstone values underlying the course.
Integrate respect and its expression through compassion into case studies, activities and discussion questions.
Present compassion as an expression of respect towards others.
Incorporate the principles of Advaita philosophy, particularly the understanding of the unity of the Creator and Creation and the recognition of divinity in every being, as a philosophical foundation for respecting all individuals.
Ensure that the programme encourages students to develop an attitude of respect towards every person.
Review the sequencing of the programme and demonstrate how Phases 1 and 2 can be effectively implemented before proceeding with the deployment of Phase 3.
Explore the relevance of the programme within the NAAC framework and institutional quality initiatives.
Explore opportunities for basic counselling training to strengthen the programme.
Seek appropriate support from Anushree in developing the sexual-harassment awareness module.
Prepare a comprehensive curriculum presentation for submission to the Vice Chancellor.
Support Amrita School of Dentistry (ASD) in implementing the programme and developing appropriate academic credit or institutional recognition for the initiative.
Clearly indicate the duration allocated to each session in the curriculum.
Further explore themes related to men, women and PhD-level academic and professional development.
Review the possibility of integrating relevant learnings from other ongoing initiatives, including the CRPF-related work.
Moving Towards Gender Harmony
The Phase 3 workshop and the subsequent recommendations emphasised that gender sensitisation should extend beyond identifying discrimination. The programme seeks to encourage students to develop respect, compassion, self-awareness and an appreciation of individual strengths, while questioning assumptions that restrict people based on gender.
The recommendations provide a framework for further strengthening the Gender Harmony curriculum and developing a structured programme that can be implemented among students of the Amrita School of Dentistry.
