3 Short Stories on Gender Sensitization

Part 3 of 3

Exercise on Discovering Unconscious Bias towards Employee Diversity Training

Poonam Sinha was always a go-getter. Being the firstborn among three sisters in a family of limited means did not stop her from trying to achieve whatsoever she set her eyes on. Whenever her father had some spare money, he brought home things for the girls, like a cricket bat or a badminton racket, much to her mother's chagrin. Mrs Sinha lamented her husband not getting her even a single piece of jewellery but secretly felt proud of her daughters, especially the oldest. After all, she was their 'eldest offspring,' who would take care of the aging parents and the two younger sisters one day (as per Indian culture). She would often lovingly keep both her hands on Poonam's head and say, "Tu to hamara beta hai!" (You are our son!")

Poonam grew up and joined the Police Force. She was five months pregnant when the Coronavirus Pandemic struck the deadly second wave in India. The public was experiencing Corona fatigue and not adhering to the Covid protocols. She refused to stay at home or take up a desk job. She preferred being at the traffic signal as a Corona Warrior, lathi in hand. Her thought process was singular: "If I have to be on the road enforcing the mask rule, I clearly warn the public that they need to mask up or stay indoors." The stereotype of the working woman not being dedicated to her job, lacking commitment, and treating her job as a mere 'paying job' still abounds in our patriarchal society. But women like Poonam Sinha 'kill it' every day, with a lathi in hand, five months pregnant.

D&I Training: Suggested Question to pose to the Employees to help uncover the Unconscious Biases we carry: What significant change would you make in this story? 

Interesting Stats: In 2019, about 20.7 per cent of women were in the labor force across India, down from approximately 30 per cent in 1990. The labor force participation rate is an essential indicator of the economy's active workforce.

Credits: A news report inspired the Poonam Sinha (name changed) story. Link below.

References:

India - female labor force participation rate 2019 | Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/983020/female-labor-force-participation-rate-india/

'I Keep a Lathi': Pregnant Chhattisgarh DSP is the Face of India's Fight Against Covid-19 (news18.com)

Link to Part 2 of the three stories 3 Short Stories on Gender Sensitization - Rainmaker.

Call us today for Rainmaker Training's Online Diversity Training Program, and a Demo of D,E&I e-Module, WorkVIBE https://youtu.be/QAJihR48_Kg.

Author: Sumali Nagarajan

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