Category Archives: Foundation Blog

“Child marriage is slavery,” says Dr Urvashi Sahni

Posted on by

Lucknow: Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF) organised Join the Discussion on Child marriage is slavery. Ms Ruchita Chowdhary, SP Women and Child Security wing, Lucknow, Director of Lucknow Childline, Dr. Sangeeta Sharma and Dr Uravshi Sahni, Founder and CEO of SHEF were the panelist of the discussion. Over 320 people attended the webinar. The aim was to address issue of child marriages. The panelists interacted with Gram Panchayat Pradhan, government officials, child Line and members of One Stop Center.

SHEF’s Founder and CEO Dr. Urvashi Sahni said “Child marriage is child slavery! Once we recognise this, only then we will be able to change the mindset of the masses.”

“The pradhans and the panchayat members should intervene in matters regarding child marriage. They should unlearn all old notions and think about the wellbeing of the children.” said Sangeeta Sharma while addressing the Pradhans and the Gram Panchayat members.

Ruchita Chaudhary, SP Women and Child Security wing, Lucknow said, “Child marriage is violence against women. Even today our society is unable to understand the gravity of the crime.”

During the webinar the panelists engaged and talked about how to intervene and stop child marriage and where can they find support and legal guidance from.

“Equality is an important aspect of democracy,” says Asim Arun, Minister of State social welfare at IDC award ceremony

Posted on by

Lucknow: “Equality is an important aspect of democracy. Being democratic means that we believe and treat everyone equally. It is important to educate our boys that girls are equal and they have to work together to strengthen democracy and I am glad that Study Hall Educational Foundation is working towards educating everyone for equality and social justice,” said Asim Arun, Minister of State, Social Welfare at the India’s Daughters Campaign award ceremony. 

Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF) organized the annual India’s Daughters Campaign (IDC) award ceremony on Tuesday. As a part of the campaign, discussions on patriarchy were organized in 1700 schools and 2 lakh children from all districts of Uttar Pradesh participated in the campaign. Drama competition, film making, poster making, essay and poem writing competitions were conducted and an amount of 1 lakh 54 thousand was distributed among the winners as scholarship. Mr P K Tripathi, Joint Director of Samj Kalyan was also present. Members from organisations like – UNICEF, Room To Read, AIDWA, AALI, Jijiwisha Society, Robin Hood Army, DIET and Manavsrijan were also present.

Dr Urvashi Sahni, founder and CEO of SHEF said, “Congratulations to the winners as well as all the children who participated in our campaign. Our campaign urges men and boys to change. When we talk about equality, it is imperative to include boys and men in the conversation. They must learn that patriarchy is cruel, unfair, unjust to women and girls and nothing can change if we don’t teach our boys and men to annihilate patriarchal structures and establish an egalitarian one instead.”

For the past two years, boys have become the focus of the IDC. The theme of this year’s campaign was – It’s time for men and boys to change, which focused on educating boys and men to fight patriarchy and become advocates and champions of gender justice. In  the last 12 years, SHEF through IDC has successfully mobilized over 11 lakh community members and raised awareness regarding girl’s rights and gender based violence.

Photo courtesy: DSH Team

“Education is the only way we can empower women and educate the society to see them as equals,” says Mr. Sushil Chandrabhan, SSP

Posted on by

Sitapur: Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF) organized an event ‘Gair barabari ke Khilaf Pakhwada’ engaging students and teachers from 43 government run upper primary schools of Laharpur block in Sitapur. This event is being conducted in order to raise awareness among boys about gender inequality and to help them become advocates of gender justice in the school and communities. The guests for the occasion were SSP Sushil Ghule Chandrabhan, Block Education Officer Shaheen Ansari, One Stop Centre in charge Deepika Ji, the member of Child Welfare Committee Sanjay Ji, and Laharpur thana in charge Rajeev Ji.

Sushil Ghule Chandrabhan said, “It is very important for women to become independent and take decisions about their life. Education is the only way we can empower women and educate the society to see them as equals.” 

Priyanka Saxena, Program manager of Aarohini Initiative said, “If we want equality and our country to progress, boys and men need to become advocates of gender justice and become active participants in building an egalitarian society.”

Students actively participated in several activities such as – critical dialogues, poster making, story writing and role play were conducted on the issue of inequality and social norms. The uniqueness of each child has been displayed through these activities. A drama was presented on ‘Discrimination’ by the students of Upper Primary School Basantipur got the first prize, the drama presentation on ‘Dowry’ by the students of Patwara School got the second prize. And the third prize was won by the girls, students of Nivori Vidyalaya by presenting a skit on ‘Child Marriage’. Director General of Police Sushil Chandrabhan appreciated the efforts made by all the participants and teachers by giving prizes and certificates to the winners. 

Photo courtesy: DSH Team

Dr Urvashi Sahni at the United Nations General Assembly

Posted on by

We are happy to inform you that as one of the founding members of Catalyst2030 and as the Co-chair of Education Collaboration, Dr Urvashi Sahni spoke at the Transforming Education Summit at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 17 September, 2022. Catalyst2030 launched Pathways to Transforming Education: Proven Solutions from Social Entrepreneurs report. The inspiring report provides details on how we can adopt evidence-based learning principles to address 21st century challenges and collaboratively revolutionize education. The goal is to sensitize policymakers and influence education policy and practice for the better. The report highlights the importance of having social entrepreneurs and learners as active stakeholders in education policy design and practice implementation. 

The report brings together more than 60 social entrepreneurs working towards SDG4 #QualityEducation. These entrepreneurs have worked closely with their communities for many years and have developed tried and tested solutions that have proved to be successful. 

Over 40 NGOs join hands with SHEF to educate men and boys to become activists and advocates of gender justice

Posted on by

Lucknow: India’s Daughters’ Campaign (IDC) called on fellow NGOs to join forces to mobilize and educate men and boys to become activists and champions of gender justice. Over 40 NGOs and government officials participated in the meeting. Representatives from organizations like – Suraksha, Prayatna, AALI, Millan, Action Aid, Vatsalya, Shabhagi Sikshan Kender and AMS along with representatives from government schools. 

“The purpose of this alliance, which is still taking shape, stems from the fact that most efforts to address gender inequality focus solely on empowering girls and women. While a necessary part of the equation, it is also imperative that boys learn to fight, resist, and end sexist oppression” said Priyanka Saxena who is incharge of the India’s Daughters’ Campaign – an initiative of Study Hall Educational Foundation.  The IDC takes a unique approach by bringing boys and men to the center of the discussion on gender inequality. Dissecting the perils of patriarchy, the campaign focuses on why men should give up power and change. 

Dr Urvashi Sahni, founder and CEO of SHEF said, “Boys and men must learn to deconstruct the patriarchal conception of masculinity and reconstruct an egalitarian one in its place. They must learn to recognize girls and women as equal persons to themselves, develop a critical understanding of patriarchal structures that frame their lives, and develop a critical feminist consciousness.”

“If we want to amplify this joint effort, then we must start by redefining manhood and boyhood and breaking open what it means to be a boy or girl and let our children decide who they are.” said Ritu from Humsafar.

Most efforts to address gender inequality focus solely on empowering girls and women. While a necessary part of the equation, it is also imperative that boys learn to fight, resist, and end sexist oppression. IDC aims to mobilize and educate men and boys to become activists and advocates of gender justice. 

“You have to start teaching boys when they’re young, fathers need to set good examples for their sons. There is a lot of unlearning to be done.” Asiya, independent gender consultant.

Photo courtesy: DSH Team

Two Days Traveling Film Festival on Gender Diversity

Posted on by

Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF) in collaboration with Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA) organized a 2-days film-festival called SamaBhav at Sangeet Natak Akademi. The theme of the ongoing festival is gender, masculinity, sexuality and diversity. 

Dr Urvashi Sahni, Founder and CEO of SHEF says, “Most efforts to address gender inequality focus solely on empowering girls and women. While a necessary part of the equation, it is also imperative that boys learn to fight, resist, and end sexist oppression. I urge all men and boys to become activists and advocates of gender justice.” She adds “SHEF’s India’s Daughters’ Campaign (IDC) aims to mobilize and educate men and boys to become activists and champions of gender justice.”

Harish Sadani, Executive Director and Co-Founder of MAVA says, “Samabhav engages youths through stirring conversations on gender issues and Intersectionality. We create a safe space for youth to relate to all genders, and advocate for a healthy, pluralistic, gender-just society.” 

The Festival aims to provide a safe, non-threatening platform to open up, ventilate differences and celebrate diversity in Gender and featured 19 national a

nd international short films, documentaries and feature films on gender such as Award-Winning and notable Films The Great Indian Kitchen, Natkhat, Hridoy Bosot, Abu, Untying The Knot, Maida, Black Roses and Red Dresses, Bhaap, Sunday, Darling, Tuloni Bia. Active discussions were a key part of the festival.

Gender rights activists Asiya Shervani, Nasiruddin Khan, Manish Kumar, Altamash Khan and Amruta Soni were among the key discussants at the fest interacting with the gathered participants.

Convocation ceremony of Skill Development Program held: 120 students felicitated

Posted on by

Itaunja: “Next step after skill development, connecting beneficiaries to employment opportunities. This joint collaboration is a noble initiative and enables high quality skill development opportunities to the rural areas,” says Ram Asrey Singh, the Deputy Director, Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission who was the  Chief guest for the Convocation ceremony of Skill Development Program was held at Laxmi Smriti Vidyadaan Sansthan (LSVS) at Itaunja on Saturday.

120 students were felicitated for completion of three courses – Beautician, Tailoring and Computer Operator. Majority of the students enrolled in the course were young women and girls from 10 villages near Itaunja.

The program is being jointly conducted by Laxmi,Smriti Vidyadaan Sansthan, Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF) and Jan Shikshan Sansthan (under the ministry of skill development & entrepreneurship), Lucknow. Dr Urvashi Sahni, Founder and CEO of SHEF, Mr IB Singh, Senior Advocate at Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow Bench and Mr Anil Kumar Srivastava, Director of Jan Shikshan Sansthan were among the dignitaries present at the ceremony.

“We now need to focus on finding good employment opportunities for the girls and women who have completed the course. It is also the responsibility of men and boys present here to support and encourage their sisters, daughters and mothers in order for them to excel and become independent,” said Dr Urvashi Sahni.

Mr I B Singh, also the patron of Laxmi Smriti Vidyadaan Sansthan said, “I am grateful to SHEF and Jan Shikshan Sansthan for collaborating with us. This program is a boon for my village, especially for the girls and women. I have seen young girls traveling from far and bringing their sisters and mothers along from nearby villages and I feel my dream of educating children, especially girls so that they can get employed is coming true.”

All three courses have been a huge success. The program was launched in November 2021 and will soon start the next batch.

International Women’s Day: Boys and men need to change for us to achieve gender justice

Posted on by

Lucknow: Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF) took a very interesting approach for celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8, 2022. They invited an all-men panel in the 42nd Edition of Join the Discussion series and put the focus back on boys and men to answer the question – Why should men give up power and change? 

Anand Chitravanshi, Chief Operating Officer of SHEF said, “This grave inequality cannot and should not exist in a working democracy. Such inequality can only be corrected by a social, political and cultural revolution. As architects, perpetrators, and perpetrators of patriarchy, men need to take a principled egalitarian stand and choose their actions mindfully. The fight for equality will not seek mens’ consent. Men must use their privilege to advocate for women’s dignity, freedom, rights and autonomy. Men must participate in house work and raise their voice against other men who harass, molest and objectify women. Fathers must become role models for their sons.’

Anshumali Sharma, State Liaison Officer, NSS – Uttar Pradesh said, “Patriarchy is the cause of all gender-based violence as it gives unlimited power to men. If we are to create a gender just world, it is important that we address men and boys. We can empower women but if we leave men out of this conversation, we will never achieve equality.”

Founder President and CEO of SHEF Dr Urvashi Sahni, said “We live in a democracy, where every citizen has equal rights. But we have left half the population without that freedom. We have created a society for our daughters that is cruel and unfair to them. And if we are to bring change then we must address men and boys and educate them to deconstruct the patriarchal structures and construct an egalitarian one instead.”

Shivpoojan who is a class 11 student at Prerna Boys School added, “Change begins at home. Men and boys need to change their mindset towards women and girls. They need to understand that we all are equal and have equal rights.”

Ankur Mishra, a teacher at Prerna Boys School said that, “At home, women are restricted by their fathers, brothers and husbands. We must also understand that patriarchy also harms men. We are overburdened by responsibilities. Why not educate, support women and empower and consider them as equals? Our constitution says every citizen is equal, so why are we limiting the lives of women?”

Sharing her feedback for the panel discussion, Sapna Bharti, a government school teacher from Sitapur said, “Women need to raise their boys in the right manner. Teach them how to do household chores, share the burden that usually their sisters would bear. ”

Study Hall School hosts the 9th edition of it’s Model United Nations Virtually

Posted on by

Lucknow: Study Hall School hosted a two-day Virtual Model United Nations (SHMUN) Human Rights Council on 12 and 13 February 2022. This was the 9th edition of SHMUN hosted by Study Hall where students from prestigious schools in Lucknow were tasked with solving global issues through research, drafting, lobbying and debate to pass a suitable resolution. The 9th edition of SHMUN discussed the escalating humanitarian crisis in Myanmar with the arrival of Military rule and third wave of Covid.

Dron Pande, a student of class 11 at Study Hall said, “Study Hall’s Model UN this year was action packed. We hosted four committees this year and all of them were a huge success. For me, as a 11 grader, organizing a Model UN was a monumental task and I was grateful for the support from the teachers. This was an amazing experience and we hope to hold many more events in the same fashion.” Dron was the Director General of SHMUN this year.

Principal Meenakshi Bahadur said, “Once again Study Hall’s Model UN was a huge success. It’s also a great opportunity for students from other schools to work together, identify the issues and find solutions for the agenda they are assigned.”

Students from various schools like La Martiniere Girls’ School and La Martiniere College, Prerna Girls School participated in the conference. Keeping in view the model of the UN, the event was planned for two days to accommodate all the procedures that could be followed explicitly and students to come up with relevant and applicable solutions. SHMUN is a student simulation of the proceedings of the United Nations, where Students, referred to as Delegates, are assigned a country to represent in one of the UN’s numerous committees with pre-set topics to debate. They research the background of their country, their country’s position on the topics at hand, and prepare notes on possible solutions to the problems faced. Students then convene at Model UN conferences, to debate their assigned topics with students representing the other UN member states. Much like the real UN, the goal is to identify solutions, by negotiation and consensus, on which many countries can agree. The students take on the roles of delegates, speakers, and chairs. The entire process and discussion takes place under formal ‘Rules of Procedure’ to truly model the format of the UN.

Dr Urvashi Sahni latest TEDxYouth – Rethinking Democracy and Citizenship

Posted on by

Watch Dr Urvashi Sahni’s latest TEDxYouth talk on Rethinking Democracy and Citizenship, where she answers pressing questions such as what does it mean to be democratic? What’s the difference between being a citizen in a democracy and a subject in an empire? and more.

Starting off with a powerful reading of the constitution to remind us the principles of equality, justice and fraternity – values that she aspires to imbue in others through her schools and organisations. She explained the importance of reconstructing strong feudal patriarchal mindsets and reconstructing democratic mindsets instead in order to have a robust and thriving democracy. She also highlights the role of educational institutions to direct the change in mindsets. As places where children spend a majority of their time, it is integral for there to be a paradigm shift from schools being an environment where gender inequality is normalized to one that facilitates critical dialogue between children on the subject of democracy. 

httpvh://youtube.com/watch?v=MAXtpkbEe0o