NHRD
Bangalore Chapter organized a theater-based discussion on the above subject on
30/3/2017. In view of the novelty of using theater to convey ideas, the
attendance was very good with the conference hall being jam-packed. The
speakers/performers for the day were Ms Aruna GaneshRam of Visual Respiration, a performance
company committed to designing unique audience experiences and Ms Nirmala
Menon, Founder CEO of Interweave, a company focusing on organizational
diversity and inclusion solutions. The objective of the evening program was to
create heightened awareness and inspire better inclusion for all.
In our society,
we tend to look at a person not as an individual but through the lens of
gender. What people are capable of doing or whether an action is right or wrong
is perceived from the gender of the person, whether male or female. The program
started with a theatrical presentation by Aruna who drew attention to the
plight of women in society, whether at work (interviewed for a job, being
considered for an assignment or promotion) or in personal life. She adopted the
style of a Sutradhara, a story teller or
narrator In Indian Theatre of yore in a singsong exaggerated voice. I am
sharing below a sample of what Aruna related in her performance:-
“Boxes boxes everywhere”
Men and
women in clear separate boxes
Categorizing
people one way or the other”
“A woman’s chores include
apart from
attending official work.
Attending
PTA meetings, bank work and others.”
“she is to be commented upon
no matter
what clothes she wears
be it Biz
suit, hot pants or salwar
if nothing else,
you can’t help asking
“What’s with
the new look?” “
“At
work it’s always doubt
Can you
arrange, manage, co ordinate
They say,
“I’m not tough enough
Fast enough,
not networking
Not capable
enough, not worthy enough”
“For promotion Nikhil is chosen over me
Take a break
they say- adding insult to injury
“In a way
it’s an opportunity to chill out
Look after
the kids, take up
Your hobby
of gardening”
“Boxes, boxes everywhere!
What’s in your box?
How did it
get in there?
What do you
want to keep?
What do you
want to throw out?”
“Boxes, boxes in the air
Boxes, boxes
everywhere
It starts
from the time of childhood
Boys get
blue
Girls get
pink
Boys are
brave, girls do cry
Barbie dolls
are girly
Video games
are nerdy
Girls to the
left, boys to the right”
“Boys are good at maths
Girls good
at crafts
Boys have to
be bread winner
Girls need
to worry about being thin”
After the theatrical
performance by Aruna, the baton was passed on to Nirmala Menon who brought in
the necessary professionalism and focus to the exercise. What does the insights
from the performance mean to the HRDians assembled for the evening? Whether an
appreciation by HR leaders, of the negative aspects of boxing employees based
on their genders could lead to policies that are progressive, more egalitarian
and inclusive? As a person engaged in sensitizing corporates for some time now
as a diversity professional, Nirmala admitted that all problems would not
disappear instantly as if by waving a
magic wand. Yet, baby steps taken in this direction in more and more companies
would yield results in the long run.
Nirmala
underscored the fact that it is not women alone but both genders, who are
victims of the practice of boxing people. As for example in our country,
society would not view kindly or appreciate a male’s wish to be a ‘home maker’
based on his natural traits and inclination for that role. In the work
situation, if the capabilities of women are constantly judged unfavourably due
to biased prejudices, it would amount to ignoring 50% of your talent pool. Why
would any organization want to do that? The success of diversity management at
the organizational level would be possible only if concerted efforts are made
by managers and the spirit is reflected in the culture of the organization.
Nirmala
concluded by stating that notwithstanding the efforts of organizations, the
challenges to the problem included comfort and psychological safety felt by women,
societal influences and the psyche of the women themselves. There has been
change in women over the years and they are demanding
more of their rights. However, more change or corresponding change is necessary
in the mindsets of men. It is in the interests of the organization to have a
balance of the masculine and feminine energy. In this connection, a few
courageous souls need to break the status quo and the others would follow.
The evening provided all of us present a lot of food for thought.By recreating the evening for you here readers, I am passing them on to you also to mull over- How much longer are we going to continue at the work places and in all spheres of life with a limiting perception of seeing people in boxes?How long will it to take to break boundaries, realize full potential of indivduals and claim the palaces of possibilities?
The evening provided all of us present a lot of food for thought.By recreating the evening for you here readers, I am passing them on to you also to mull over- How much longer are we going to continue at the work places and in all spheres of life with a limiting perception of seeing people in boxes?How long will it to take to break boundaries, realize full potential of indivduals and claim the palaces of possibilities?
Edit: I found this on the net and it is very relevant. After all, it is the story of a middle class man like any one of us and how he treated his daughters...Hope you like it.
Nice reporting of the event
ReplyDeleteThank you so much DP!
ReplyDeleteTrue Rajeev, it's not women alone who are victims! Though there's so much talks, discussions, workshops and what not happening on the subject...how many really do give serious thought to it when it needs to be practiced in their homes, right! I have heard and seen so many stories where they take a different stand with their 'boys' and 'girls'!
ReplyDeleteWell-written post!
Thank you Deepa for sharing your thoughts on the subject and your appreciation of the post!
ReplyDeleteThanks for capturing the performance wonderfully.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback.It was a pleasure for me to cover the memorable event.
DeleteAs always an excellent and comprehensive report Rajeev! Gender sensitization, diversity etc. still remain management terms...selectively employed..to no little purpose. Both as a woman and as a poet Aruna's monologue appealed to me because it is the whole truth and a sad reality...even in the 21st Century especially in India. But such programs do heighten awareness and hopefully pave the way for a change in mindsets ...Indeed, it's time we unboxed ...and threw away the prejudices and preconditioned / preconceived ideas and notions!!! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Padmaja! Your feedback is so motivating as usual. In fact you are a big inspiration to keep writing...As you have mentioned this is one issue that needs to be addressed sooner than later.
Delete