When it comes to addressing issues of gender equality in education, one organization that is working to educate, organize and empower their communities is Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK). Established in 1971, NBJK aims to create a just society where everyone’s needs are met without discrimination or exploitation (NBJK, n.d. a). NBJK’s programs are implemented throughout India and encompass key development areas like health, education, agriculture, economics, and civil rights (NBJK, n.d. b). NBJK characterizes its approach to development “as a liberating force for achieving social justice, economic growth, and self-reliance” (NBJK, n.d. a). Their diverse portfolio of programs has allowed NBJK to carry out targeted interventions in rural communities that address multi-dimensional national issues locally. One of NBJK’s most successful programs is focused on improving gender equality and girls’ education.
In India, the underperformance of girls in education can be attributed to a number of factors, including social stigma, poverty, safety, cost, distance, and child marriage (NBJK, n.d. c). For example, in the eastern state of Jharkhand, where NBJK is based, an estimated 45% of girls drop out of primary school, and that number is higher in rural areas, where around 85% of girls drop out (NBJK, n.d. c). These competing factors contribute to a vicious generational cycle where young girls drop out of school and fail to reach their full potential. NBJK sees working at the grassroots level as a pathway to transforming gender in education through multi-stakeholder engagement with international organizations, local schools, parents, and students (Gupta et al., 2002, p. 33).
In collaboration with UNICEF, NBJK’s Jaagriti Initiative was launched to change conceptions of gender norms amongst students, parents, and teachers. The Jaagriti Initiative tackles gender equality in education by adopting a transformative approach and adapting it to the individual, family, and community (UNICEF. 2020. p.16). The initiative was administered in 100 schools across India and involved three components:
- Transformative gender education:
- Integrating gender into the curriculum creates an environment for teachers and students to critically examine and discuss inequalities associated with “gender roles, norms, and dynamics” (Locke et al. 2022. p.2). The curriculum covers “understanding gender, productive and reproductive roles, double work burdens, gender-based discrimination and violence, patriarchy and taking action for change” (UNICEF. 2020. p.24). This broad spectrum of knowledge helps build a foundation of awareness and action.
- Gender-focused co-curricular activities:
- Biweekly extracurricular activities supplement the material learned in school and reinforce their newly acquired knowledge through various activities that promote community-building and learning (UNICEF. 2020. p.24). By combining education with action, the Jaagriti Initiative helps establish new norms that support gender equality in a positive environment (Locke et al. 2022. p.2).
- Family engagement:
- Recognizing that families significantly impact the norms students develop, the Jaagriti Initiative engages families through monthly sessions to share the materials students learn in school (UNICEF. 2020. p.24). By sensitizing parents, the Jaagriti Initiative changed parents’ position from observers to participants of change (UNICEF. 2020. p.68). Parental outreach helps “transform the underlying social structures, policies, and broadly held social norms that perpetuate gender inequalities” (Locke et al. 2022. p.2).
The Jaagriti Initiative draws its strength by aligning itself with the transformative gender approach to education. This approach is based on the reshaping of the education system and curriculum to uproot gender inequality by shifting “norms, practices, and structures, which [reproduce] gender” (Locke et al. 2022. p.3). By leveraging the school environment, the Jaagriti Initiative promotes a transformative solution to addressing gender inequalities that engages not only students and teachers but also those outside the walls of a classroom.
As a result of their efforts, in 2021, NBJK engaged 10,655 students through their education program (NBJK. 2022. p.3). In evaluating the Jaagriti Initiative’s impact, NGJK found that “65% of girls and 74% of boys reported a greater awareness of gender biases, stereotyping, discrimination, and inequality” (UNICEF. 2020. p.24). Moreover, compared to baseline data, the Jaagriti Initiative saw the most significant changes in attitudes among boys and fathers. Boys and fathers experienced a 16% and 11% shift in attitudes when asked if “boys are naturally better than girls in studies” (UNICEF. 2020. p.25). Additionally, boys and fathers reported a 21% and 8% change in attitudes when asked, “it’s more important to educate boys than girls” (UNICEF. 2020. p.25). By positioning gender equality as a primary education component, NBJK, through its Jaagriti Initiative, has begun laying the groundwork for an “inclusive and socially just education system” (Locke et al. 2022. p.4). Furthermore, by engaging various stakeholders, NBJK has expressed its commitment to achieving gender equality beyond the classroom and into the larger community by shifting “norms, practices, and structures, which reproduced gender-based inequities” (Locke et al. 2022. p.4).
References
Gupta, R. Whelan, D. & Allendorf, K. (2022). Integrating Gender into HIV/AIDS Programmes. Department of Gender and Women’s Health. (pp. 1-53). World Health Organization.
Locke, K.; Choo, L.W. and Shah, R. (2022). Toward Transformative Gender Education Programming. Center for Education. (pp. 1-6). USAID. https://www.edu-links.org/sites/default/files/media/file/Toward_Transformative_Gender_Education_Programming.pdf
Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK). (2022). Annual Report 2021-22. (pp. 1-38). https://nbjk.org/new/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Annual-Report-2021-22.pdf
Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK). (n.d. a). Mission and Vision. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://nbjk.org/mission-and-vision/mission-and-vision/
Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK). (n.d. b). Our Work. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://nbjk.org/our-work/
Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK). (n.d. c). Girl’s Education. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://nbjk.org/education-and-homeless-child/girls-education/
Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK). (2014). Young primary school children in India [Photograph]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/NbjkIndia/photos/a.849005758449832/890612230955851
UNICEF. (2020). Advancing Positive Gender Norms and Socialization through UNICEF Programmes: Monitoring and Documenting Change. Executive Summary. (pp. 1-12). Oversees Development Institute. https://www.unicef.org/eca/media/16456/file/Advancing_Positive_Gender_Norms_and_Socialization_through_UNICEF_Programmes%3A_Monitoring_and_Documenting_Change_%7C_Executive_Summary.pdf
