In 2022, let’s create gender-positive learning spaces: IE

Essence: Transgender students face several problems such as lack of gender-neutral accommodation, which leads to mental harassment and increased dropouts. There are incidents where students are asked to undergo sex reassignment surgery, going against the right to self-determination, as provided by the 2014 NALSA judgment of the Supreme Court. Thus, honest conversation with the students and faculty is needed to create gender-neutral space in hostels along with gender-neutral washrooms and policy on inclusive education for gender and sexual minorities. 

However, such spaces should be mindful of the intersectionality within queer communities and should not curtail the legal right of transgender men and women to get accommodation in men’s or women’s hostels. This creation of infrastructure needs to be augmented with sensitisation campaigns to change mindsets, changing queerphobic curricula and inclusion of other queer identities to the National Education Policy 2020. 

Why should you read this article? 

• To understand the need to create gender neutral spaces in educational institutions.
• To understand the factors that need to be considered while creating such spaces.
• To know about further measures needed to create gender neutral educational institutions.

 
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• In 2022, let’s create gender-positive learning spaces