STORY PROJECT

Theme for AY 25-26

STORY PROJECT THEME FOR 25-26:- “Unseen Threads: The Many Faces of Gender Inequity”

Through this theme, we invite you to examine the multifaceted nature of gender inequity—through the voices of those who have experienced it, those who have confronted it (for themselves or others), those who have unknowingly upheld it, or those who have observed it from the sidelines.

Given below are some examples for you to consider. Use them to guide your thinking around whose stories you want to tell and why.

 

Examples of stories giving voice to those who have experienced gender inequity firsthand:

  • A female athlete who was denied the same sponsorship opportunities as her male counterparts
  • A woman who had to settle for less play than her male colleagues at her workplace
  • A transgender man who struggled to have his identity recognized in legal documents
  • A non-binary politician who faced public scrutiny and legal barriers while advocating for gender-inclusive policies
  • A single father who struggled to take parental leave in a workplace that assumed caregiving was a mother’s responsibility

 

Examples of stories exemplifying those who have confronted inequity for themselves or others:

  • A male survivor of domestic abuse who fought to have his experience taken seriously by law enforcement
  • A woman who fought to become the first female sarpanch of her village
  • A mother in a small town who fought for her transgender daughter’s right to wear the girls’ uniform at school, challenging the administration to update its outdated dress code.
  • A journalist who launched a dedicated sports column to highlight achievements of women athletes and challenge the bias in sports reporting.
  • A high school student in rural Jharkhand who confronted her parents about discriminating between her and her brothers and changed the norms in her household
  • A theatre artist who has travelled around the country performing street plays to raise awareness against domestic violence
  • raising awareness about women’s issues in public spaces, has been travelling across various cities and countries.

 

Examples of stories representing those who unknowingly upheld or continue to uphold gender inequity 

  • The perspective of a hiring manager who unknowingly prioritizes male candidates for certain types of jobs. 
  • A school principal who believed she was promoting equal education but later realised that she was unconsciously encouraging boys to pursue science and technology while steering girls toward humanities, reinforcing traditional career stereotypes.
  • A filmmaker or author who prided himself making socially conscious films / writing socially conscious books but realized too late that his movies often depicted women in caregiving roles and men as heroes, reinforcing outdated gender narratives.
  • A doctor who encourages parents to be involved in their children’s health but often explains medical conditions in detail to fathers while simplifying things for mothers, assuming they wouldn’t understand complex medical information.

 

Examples of stories of by-standers and their thoughts on gender inequity or their own actions

  • A young man who observed workplace discrimination against his transgender colleague but remained silent, only later coming to understand the power of allyship.
  • A BMC school principal who observed that many families enrolled their daughters in government schools but paid for their sons to attend private schools, but did nothing to address this with the parent community.
  • A high school student who stayed silent on a group chat of boys objectifying the female classmates
  • A mother in a joint family who saw her daughters go through the same discrimination that she went through during their menstrual cycle, but said nothing.

This theme challenges you to move beyond the obvious and explore the deep-rooted gender inequities that shape everyday lives—sometimes in ways we don’t even notice. We encourage you to look beyond familiar narratives or professional stereotypes, and dive into the complexities of how gender inequity is experienced, perpetuated, confronted, or ignored. Whether your story highlights an individual who has fought against systemic barriers, someone who unknowingly upheld these structures, or a bystander who remained silent in the face of injustice, we urge you to bring fresh perspectives to the conversation. Let these stories reveal the hidden forces at play and inspire a deeper understanding of the world around us.