Training of Trainers on Diversity, Gender Justice and Inclusion

10th October 2018

Training of Trainers on Diversity, Gender Justice and Inclusion on October 4 and 5, 2018 at Delhi

On October 4 and 5, 2018, Control Arms Foundation of India, Multiple Action Research Group, Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network and National Coalition on Race and Gender Issues in collaboration with Martha Farrell Foundation and Youth Ki Awaaz organized the second part of the Participatory Regional Level Training of Trainers under the project ‘Deepening Diversity, Women’s Rights and Democracy: Working Towards Addressing Racial Discrimination and Gender Based Violence with Special Emphasis on Sexual Violence in Conflict Areas’.

It was held in India International Center, 40 Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi. This training was attended and participated by over 40 people from different backgrounds, fields and sectors. The first part of the training was held in Guwahati, Assam in the month of August 2018 where various organizations from different states of the northeast participated.

The aim of the training was to train individuals and representatives from various CSO's, educational institutes, government and private organizations having different backgrounds on the module for further promotion of the module in educational institutes and organizations as well as at personal level.

The objective of training was to deeply introspect and reflect on Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Justice. Furthermore to learn ways of facilitating sessions on the issues and more importantly preparing action plan for inclusion of concepts of Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Justice in curriculum in educational institutions and organisations.

The first day of the training was primarily on introducing the concept and debriefing these critical issues to the participants. Further, through skits, dramas, narration of stories, participants were engaged in conversations on individual understanding/experience of gender, diversity, inclusion. The second day of training began with an input and practice session on facilitating trainings on diversity. This was followed by the learnings of new methodologies dealing with these issues in everyday life.

Another key session of the day was the mapping of diversity. The end of the training was focuses on an action plan for inclusion of concepts of Diversity, inclusion and Gender Justice in various sectors and fields.

Training of Trainers on Diversity, Gender Justice and Inclusion on October 4 and 5, 2018 at Delhi

The need for this training has arisen because of the alarming trend in rise of blatant hate crimes and racism in the country in the past few years. 78 percent of the Northeast population is subject to several kinds of humiliation because of their appearance in New Delhi. 54 percent of people living and working in capital felt that New Delhi is the most “unsafe place” in terms of ethnic intolerance while 67 percent feel that they were victims of racial discrimination.

Crimes against people from Northeast India have increased by 232 percent in the last two years. On another note, the situation of women and girls is deteriorating each passing day. The country stands at 108 position out of 145 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index in 2017. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report points out that the crime against women has been on the rise from 2011 onwards. In 2016, the number was as high as 3,38,954. The rate of crime against women is highest in the capital city of Delhi with an average of 184.3. In 2017 alone there were 1,968 rape cases. Furthermore, incidences of crimes against women are also on the rise in Northeast India.

It is crucial that this need for Development of Module and Training of Trainers is identified as a key gap with regard to the issue of diversity, inclusion and gender violence is a neglect of the topics in many educational institutions and organizations. The organizers aimed that practical and innovative awareness on the above-mentioned topics will lead to changes in behaviour and attitudes. Many will be sensitized to issues of race and gender violence and will be more inclusive in their approach and behaviour.