Orientation Programme On Gender-Based Violence For Slum Youths In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: A one-day orientation programme on gender and gender-based violence was organised at the Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD) for 70 young boys and girls from various slums of the state capital on Tuesday. 

The training tried to create understanding on gender and how it tries to control the behaviour of people in society. It also helped participants to understand how patriarchal values define gender roles in the social structure and that it changes from one society to another and also from time to time.

The programme is a part of Social Projects of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL), a collaborative initiative of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, BSCL and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). It is being implemented at the slum-level through partner NGO Humara Bachpan Trust. It started with only eight slums and is now being implemented across 100 slums.

As part of the intervention, youth from the slums are being trained as Peer Leaders (Pragati Sathis) to take leadership to address issues and challenges of the slums. Various programmes are also being organised to create a better understanding of social issues with the help of these young community leaders.

BSCL through its social intervention has been working for the last three years to create a better understanding about gender and gender-based violence among the youth. In the recently concluded fortnight, the peer leaders created awareness on gender based violence through street plays. From the last week, BSCL has initiated the second phase of a 10-day self-defence training for young girls from the slums. The programme will cover approximately 500 girls. Almost 334 girls have already received training in the last two years.