How We Raise Our Boys

A 4-day, 2 hours each day, interactive online workshop aimed at building our knowledge on masculinities, reflect on our own experiences around gender, and sexuality, and curate resources together towards creating gender-inclusive and sensitive classrooms/other spaces for children and young people we engage with as educators.

This year, the workshop will be conducted online in two languages: English, and Hindi. It aims to engage school teachers and social workers who work with adolescents. Remaining regional workshops will be happening in person spaces. For more details on this, please check FAQs.

Since 2020, The Gender Lab has engaged with about 700 educators including teachers, social workers, and other professionals working with children.

HWROB is hosted by The Gender Lab under their Redefining Masculinities vertical.

About Gender Lab

The Gender Lab is a non-profit that works towards empowering adolescents and youth in urban and rural communities in India to question existing gender narratives through critical and meaningful engagement within their communities.

Lets Register to know more!

Why is this 4 Days, 2 hours each day Online Workshop?

This workshop is for you if you are a school educator who works with children:

If you are interested in exploring gender-inclusive practices to implement in the classrooms/other spaces to become a better support system for children.
If you would like to find your own educator/teacher’s community where you can share and explore your perspectives around gender and learn with each other in the group.
If you are willing to engage with the group of participants consistently and can sign up to complete post-workshop activities and exercises within your work area to translate the workshop learnings into action.

Expectations from the Participants

Commitment: This 4-days, 2 hours each day interactive workshop is connected and informed by each other in terms of learning, it is highly recommended you be present all three days, but we do understand emergent situations and genuine reasons, so do let us know prior if you are unable to join.
Participation: Since this is an online learning space, we encourage you to keep your camera on if possible, express your curiosities, ask questions, and respond with your reflections whenever there is an opportunity for participants to share. Following the workshop, interested participants can engage in a post-workshop action component, where The Gender Lab will support individual inquiries and help translate learnings into actionable steps in the same financial year. More information on the same will be provided during the workshop!

Commitment

This 3-day interactive workshop is connected and informed by each other in terms of learning, it is highly recommended you be present all three days, but we do understand emergent situations and genuine reasons, so do let us know prior if you are unable to join.

Participation

We invite people to learn, participate, and challenge their thoughts; we encourage you to bring your own essence to the space.

Respecting people

People come from different cities, states, and cultures, with diverse identities, to participate and connect. Disrespectful, violent behavior and sexual remarks won’t be tolerated.

Schedule

Dates and Language:

2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th October 2024: English and Hindi Language (two separate workshops)

Where: Zoom (online)

Day 1, 5 pm to 7:00 pm	Understanding masculinity – Introduction to gender with a focus on masculinities and experiences around the same.
Day 2, 5 pm to 7:00 pm	Understanding gender and sexuality – learning about key concepts and terminologies around gender while locating it in the larger context of patriarchy. Learn what sexuality means at an introductory and basic level and be able to normalize/destigmatize conversations on sexuality from a pleasure positive approach.
Day 3, 5 pm to 7:00 pm	*Lessons to school – exploring the question of ‘Are schools gendered?’* and how.**
Day 4, 5 pm to 7:00 pm	Lessons to action – looking at ways to adapt knowledge on gender into classroom & spaces with children through identifying tools for the same.

Resource Persons

ज़यन (he/him) एक दलित क्वीर फेमिनिस्ट ट्रांस मैन है| वह वाईपी फाउंडेशन में लाउड और क्वीर प्रोग्राम के प्रोग्राम लीड के रूप में काम करते हैं। वह एक TEDx स्पीकर भी हैं और उन्हें द टाइम्स ऑफ इंडिया (2022) और द वाशिंगटन पोस्ट (2023) द्वारा फीचर किया गया है। एक प्रशिक्षित शिक्षक के रूप में, उनके पास बच्चों को पढ़ाने, जेंडर और यौनिकता के नज़रिए से शिक्षा और शिक्षक शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में शोध और विश्लेषण करने का अनुभव है। उन्होंने द न्यू लीम, द टीचर प्लस, कंटेम्परेरी एजुकेशन डायलॉग्स जैसे प्लेटफार्मों पर प्रकाशित किया है और हाल ही में चिंटू की कमीज़ नामक बच्चों की कहानी की किताब लिखी है जो एक जेंडर नॉन-कन्फोर्मिंग बच्चे के बारे कहानी है।

Riju is an intersectional trans* feminist, social worker and storyteller. She holds over six years of experience in gender justice, masculinities and queer and trans* rights. She has worked as an educator, facilitator, curriculum developer, MEL and social impact programme designer across various states of India. She is proficient in English, Bangla and Hindi.

Feedback from the HWROB participants

आज के दिन मेने गानों के जरिए मर्दानगी ओर राष्ट्र के रिश्ते को समझा जेसे :-भारत हमको जान से प्यारा | साथ ही कुछ सवालों के जरिए ओर सबकी शेयरिंग से समझा की केसे एक टीचर के लिए नियम व कायदे बना दिए गए है ओर इसी के साथ महत्वपूर्ण सिख यह रही की जो बच्चे अपने आपको queer या किसी अन्य पहचान को बिलोंग करते है तो उनके लिए केसे हम जगह बना सकते है की वो बी अपने आपको उस कक्षा का हिस्सा मान पाए

Participant, HWROB, Hindi

पहले दिन के प्रशिक्षण के द्वारा हमे पता चला की जेण्डर क्या है और हमारे द्वारा किस तरह से भेदभाव होता है ,जिसका हमे आभास नहीं होता है। कुछ कुछ जानकारी थी, लेकिन भोजपुरी भाषा मे जानकारी मिली यह हमारे लिए नया था।और डा0संजय एंव आशा जी द्वारा बहुत कुछ नया जानकारी मिल जो मेरे लिए काफी उपयोगी हैं।

जान्हवी दत्त, HWROB, Bhojpuri

Reading of articles and case studies and having small group discussions made me feel more interactive. There was a very good sharing of information in all small groups I was a part of. The last day where multiple resources were shared by multiple participants felt also very productive. Reading inspiring articles in large groups was very productive. I also liked how group resources were properly used on the last day.

Participant, HWROB, English

जेंडर विषयी मतभेद आहेत आणि ते बदलायला हवेत आणि त्याची सुरुवात आपण स्वतः पासून करावी.

Participant, HWROB, Marathi

I have moved from a space of superficial knowledge about gender to deeper meanings, identities and subjectivities. Setting the theory and then moving on to complicated subjects has set the stage for Self-Enquiry and Inner work. Unlearn to Unite.

Participant, HWROB, English

FAQ

Are there any fees for this workshop?

No, This workshop comes to you at no cost. The workshop costs are absorbed through the grant by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies.

Will this workshop happen in different languages too?

Yes, In the year 2024-25, we are conducting remaining regional languages workshops in, in-persons spaces and currently we are accepting registrations for two online workshops- English and Hindi. You can find the specific dates for this event in the Schedule section. If you need in-person interactive sessions in other regional languages for your team, please contact us at nisha@thegenderlab.org, and we will gladly consider the possibility if it is within our capabilities.

What is the application process to sign up for the How We Raise Our Boys Workshop?

You must complete the registration form and carefully read all the information provided on the website and in the form.

Can we nominate our known people who might be interested or will benefit from these workshops?

Definitely! You can let them know about these workshops by sharing the website link and registration form with them, or share their name, contact details, email, and preferred language in the given registration form, or directly share their details with us at +919004061102

Can we ask and share questions in this workshop?

The 4-day workshop is designed in a way where school educators get to ask questions, share, and explore perspectives; we encourage you to be an active participant throughout the workshop.

Can I attend one of the days?

For this workshop, there is no one-day sign-up option. Participants are required to attend all 4 days of the workshop because the learning experiences are interconnected and informed by one another.

Do we get any letter/certificate for attending the 4-day workshop?

We can give you an acknowledgment letter if you attend all days of the workshop.