An Audio-Visual Presentation by the Students of Cotton University, Guwahati: Adrita Choudhury, Anansha Borthakur, Atlanta Gogoi, Arunabh Chakravarty, Bedanga K. Goswami, Digangana Das, Harshadeep Kalita, Neha Mahanta, Nikita Kalita, Sanjeevani Saikia, Tanmoya Barman
Engaging with the activities in the WISCOMP workshop on Gender Equity and Inclusion held on 11-14 March 2019 at Cotton University, Guwahati, we were inspired to induce an interaction with the students on campus regarding gender and gender based discrimination. The responses were varied and the inputs of the students helped paint an image of the prevailing mindset. We decided to use the audio visual medium to maintain the authenticity of the responses and to instil spontaneity.
Disclaimer: The video is created with an intend to invoke conversations on and around gender on campuses and in no way intends to mark out individuals and their individual and collective ideas.
As we were shooting the AV presentation, one of the major problem that I personally encountered is that most of the people are unaware of the actual meaning of the term feminism, which shocked me. I also encountered an issue that since our workshop was based on gender equity and inclusion, as we were progressing towards our AV presentation many of the people were unaware of the distinction between equality and equity. So, I think public awarness is of outmost importance in dealing with some of the basic problems that our society has been facing.
Being personally involved in garnering the responses of the students for the AV presentation helped me to realise the various misconceptions ingrained in the students regarding certain basic notions pertaining to gender as many of them were not even aware of deciphering the simple meaning of feminism and regarded the term as being mainly anti-man and there by they were more likely to call themselves equalist or humanist. The student responses also highlighted how the feminist urge is seen more as an unwanted social and cultural disarray which makes it even for important to raise awareness among the young minds to understand their basic cultural role irrespective of their gender. On a positive note the presentation also showcased the blurring of certain gender stereotypical habits such as the boys wearing pink or floral designs and acceptance of their fellow beings the way they are rather than the way they should be.
Opinions vary, that’s natural. People have different opinions based on their knowledge, experiences, ideologies and even personalities. Working on the AV presentation however, gave me a different insight. Many of the students that we interviewed on camera (and those that we didn’t, but conversed with extensively) seem to be under the influence of biased propaganda, vague ideas and misleading information spread through various social media outlets. In the apparent absence of solid facts and a positive sphere to learn and understand certain essential concepts, many students remain woefully ignorant or confused while others move towards radical approaches. It’s actually surprising that many degree students still do not know what feminism actually stands for or what gender equity is supposed to be, some are not even concerned. And since this phenomena is not limited to this subject alone, it is a serious issue for youth in India, a country which has been traditionally male dominated, and raises several disturbing questions. Groomed with half-truths and biased views, what kind of people are we really becoming? Is our current culture a mere makeover of past traditions? What kind of heritage will we leave for posterity? We still have a long way to go!