A 16-year-old girl, Bhuvana (name changed), found the courage to tell her parents she had done nothing wrong after being followed by boys. Her father had beaten her and stopped her tuition classes upon hearing about the incidents. She spoke up while attending a 'Bridging the Gaps' youth camp organized by Chennai-based Katradi (Wind Dancer's Trust).
Breaking Gender Barriers Through Sport
Sangeeta Isvaran, founder of Katradi, highlights a fundamental societal division where boys and girls are separated from Class V onward, especially in government and lower-income schools. This cuts off conversation between genders. Katradi camps address this by using Ultimate Frisbee, a mixed-gender sport, to break the ice. Initially, boys pass only to boys and girls to girls, but they soon learn to communicate, coordinate strategies, and build respectful friendships.
Empowering Youth Through Camps
The camps, held in Tamil Nadu and other states, involve children aged 13 to 18 from government schools and underprivileged backgrounds. They are conducted in collaboration with Transformational Sports, a US-based non-profit. Katradi also runs 'She Matters' workshops for grown women, encouraging them to play Ultimate. Many women report that it is their first time playing or even running since marriage.
Using Performance Arts to Challenge Norms
Isvaran, a bharatanatyam dancer, uses performance arts to break gender stereotypes. She plays characters of all genders, such as Rama, Sita, Surpanakha, and Ravana. Through body work, she helps children understand how societal conditioning affects behavior, such as avoiding eye contact. Gender sessions cover reproductive health, puberty, and menstruation, demystifying sex education for boys. After sessions, boys have shared that they now buy pads for their mothers and sisters, and want to create safe neighborhoods. Some children have also opened up about being molested by teachers or family members.
