Lucknow: On 25th May 2024, Department of Psychology, University of Lucknow organised a session on Gender Sensitization titled as Wajood: Daastaan Ankahi. The aim of organising this session was to make the students aware of the struggles and experiences of the people from the LGBTQ+ community, said Dr. Archana Shukla, Head of the Department.The resource person for the session was Ritwik Chakrawarty, who is a Gender Rights activist and a Gender Trainer. They also is as an Assistant Manager in Haiyya, a New Delhi based organization that works in the field of creating sustainable leadership pathways for young people.
The session began with a brief introduction by programme incharges. Then, the speaker commenced their session by discussing various issues faced by the people of LGBTQ+ community in our country and how it impacts their overall wellbeing. They further elaborated on queerness in India through an indigenous approach. They also described the difference between Gender and Sex. He said, “Your Identity is one but you express it in multiple ways”.
They also talked about the problems faced by this community in acquiring government identity proof and other important documents such as AADHAR, PAN and RATION Cards.
They discussed the presence of Queerness in Indian Scriptures and the rich heritage and culture of the Hijra community in India.
The session was attended by the Research Scholars of the Department and it was very well received by them as it was an interactive session but it was very informative as well.
The session ended with Dr. Archana Shukla (Head, Department of Psychology) formally thanking the resource person by giving them a certificate of appreciation.
