A study has proven that in order to eliminate gender inequality, educational institutions need to start education on gender equality. This study was carried out in Jharkhand where close to a quarter of the female students, after this type of education, showed their support to their female peers who were witnessing violence.

More from the Study Report

The GEMS (Gender Equity Movement in Schools) is the one that has published this report about equality. The report is grounded on a study that involved 80 schools in two of Jharkhand’s districts – Ranchi and Khunti.

The study found that it took only three months of gender sensitivity education for the girls to protest against any and all types of physical violence and some to report of instances of violence against them to their elders – parents and teachers. Before the education, 47.9 % of the students had come forward to talk about it, while after the education, 71.5 % of them protested.

This goes on to show that before the study was conducted, 18 % of the would remain silent spectators or indeed enjoy the physical violence that other girls faced. However, after the gender-sensitisation education, this portion has gone down to 13.4 %.

The study also observed that the most significant change was seen regarding sexual violence against girls. Only 37.7 % of female students were seen reporting this type of violence before the education; however, after the education, this went up to 63.7 % of them coming forward.

Several similar positive changes were observed against all kinds of behaviour for male students also. After the education, the percentage of boys coming forward with reports of sexual abuse about them went up to 20 %.

In a release, Aradhana Patnaik, Jharkhand HRD Principal Secretary, stated that a plan needs to be put in place about how fast they can conduct the GEMS program in all the schools in Jharkhand. In the next one year, they want to cover all 40,000 schools. Patnaik also said that it is vital for these discussions to begin while individuals are young, as what one learns during one’s childhood stays an influence for one’s lifetime.