Everything Under The Sun: Closing Ceremony For Fellows In Pratiti Program

Friday, June 30, 2017

Closing Ceremony For Fellows In Pratiti Program

Poster for the launch of a Pratiti program.

In India, there has been an ongoing problem that has been receiving more media notice in recent years. That is the issue of gender-based violence, primarily focused on women. With so many men feeling entitled to sexually abuse/rape women, there is a need to focus on how to change that culture. PEOPLE FOR PARITY is one organization that is focusing on women's rights and violence against women, particularly since the fatal assault on a young woman in Delhi, and the several publicized cases since.

Pratiti addresses gender-based violence with young adults and youth through a fellowship program, which trains young people as leaders, while providing a safe learning environment for learning more in-depth about this issue. Every year this program awards fellowships to young adults and older adolescents, who apply, desire to learn more about gender-based violence, prevention efforts, and also interact with youth through workshops and programming.

Last year, thirteen fellows spent six months working with five different organizations in Jaipur. The closing event, held on June 15, 2016, celebrated the accomplishments of the fellows. Each fellow created a colorful display, which conveyed what they learned and accomplished, in his/her stall area. The stalls provided an exhibit area, where members of the audience could view the fellows' depiction of their experiences, along with being able to interact and ask questions.

In addition, two groups hosted special events. The Magic Bus team presented a street play (Nukkad Naatak), while the Vishakha team presented a puppet show. Two female cab drivers, recipients of services from Azad Foundation, presented their stories, and that, like them, the women and girls present could overcome any barriers placed in their way. Two elder women from the Smile Foundation sang songs calling for equality between genders.

The Pravah Jaipur team at their stall, in discussion with an audience member.

The Guest of Honor was Manju Sharma Ji, a prominent social worker and advocate, who had also served as Councillor for the area. In addition, many prominent members of the community were present in the audience, showing a strong community presence and commitment. At the end, the fellows shared their personal stories to the acclaim and recognition of the audience members.