When youth stands up in majority, you know the cause is worth joining. The Youth Parliament turned 10 this July and started with the event ‘10 years in 10 days’. Day long public events were recently organised to celebrate the anniversary and centred around Reclaiming Our Choices – Celebrating Gender, Sexuality and Rights.
Various workshops, games, discussions, screenings, book reading, musical performances and plays were organised by the YP Foundation in collaboration with Breakthrough, Must Bol, Jagori and other organisations at multiple venues within Hauz Khas Village.
A discussion on Is Dilli Safe, organised by Jagori saw young girls and boys put forward their queries on security issues in the Capital while a street performance by the Becoming I Foundation also talked about security of women. This was followed by Is it REALLY what you wear?, where the crowd discussed how clothes affect the chances of a woman getting molested. Clothes were held up and audience voted for them.
Breakthrough’s discussion at De Villa focused on Gender, Stereotypes and Media, a workshop and delved into the stereotypes in the society, our behaviour towards them and how to overcome them. “Gender stereotypes encourage women to take up literature and men taking the same are sissys! I’ve even heard people saying women do Literature so that they can marry NRIs,” says a literature student. A performance by band Ekam Satyam included songs on like Dilli Meri Jaan, Kabir, Narmada and Maa Tujhe Salaam and was appreciated by those present.
A condom art competition where participants had to design adverts which make youth feel that condoms are not just for prevention but also a way of pleasure saw a sizeable turnout.
