A new comic has been released by the UNESCO Delhi and NCERT called “Let’s Move Forward” which takes a look at several topics that are still considered taboo in Indian society and is meant to raise awareness about them among schoolchildren.
Covering around 11 themes the comic with its bright and colourful illustrations intends to bring the attention of adolescents to several important topics like sanitation, HIV, gender equality, mental health and more.
What Is This Comic?
The comic was announced last year as part of the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP) under Ayushman Bharat by the Ministry of Education and Health and Family Welfare.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the “Let’s Move Forward” comic on August 29 2023 with the actual comic being developed by both UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Delhi and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
One example of the topics brought up in the comic is how cooking still being considered a woman’s job and not something that men or boys need to be concerned with.
Two characters talk about this:
Jatin to Vikram: “I often help my mother in the kitchen and enjoy it.. but if I share this with the class, students will make fun of me as women are supposed to do all the cooking and cleaning.”
Vikram: “No, Jatin. I also love to cook and help maa in the kitchen. These are gender stereotypes that suggest only women should cook. Cooking is a basic life skill and can be pursued as a hobby or profession both by men and women.”
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Another scenario depicted is of a female student talking about how she’s been told that cricket is not something for girls and a teacher soothing the wrong ideology given to her:
Reena: “I enjoy playing cricket with my brother but my grandfather tells me to play with dolls instead, which upsets me, so I often get in conflict with him.”
Teacher: “It is a common misconception that cricket can be played by men only. This is a kind of gender discrimination..”
The comic in total covers the following topics:
- Good physical health
- Mental health
- Interpersonal relationships and values
- Gender equality
- Health and sanitation
- Prevention and management of substance abuse
- Reproductive health and HIV prevention
- Menstrual hygiene
- Safety and security against sexual violence
- Internet safety
- Responsible social media behaviour
The comic also takes a look at the discrimination the transgender community faces in the country since they are often ostracised from equal opportunities, status, work, education and more.
Along with that the comic also warns how kids should not fall for misleading advertisements that make false and empty promises and even tries to impart awareness to school administration and management.
In one section it talks about how schools must make sure that they put ramps to make the campus accessible for students who are wheelchair-bound or with disabilities writing “It is important to be sensitive to others around us. We can play an important role in supporting children with disabilities by understanding their needs and making them feel inclusive.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: The Indian Express, News18, Deccan Herald
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: NCERT, stereotypes, breaking stereotypes, indian society, mental health, gender equality, health and sanitation, hiv prevention, menstrual hygiene, social media, UNESCO Delhi, NCERT comic, Union Ministry of Education, schoolchildren, india school awareness
Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.
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