A one-day orientation programme on gender and gender-based violence was organised on Tuesday at the Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD) for 70 young boys and girls from various slums of Bhubaneswar.

The training tried to create understanding on gender and how it tries to control the behaviour of people in society. It also helped participants to understand how patriarchal values define gender roles in the social structure and that it changes from one society to another and also from time to time.

The programme was a part of the Social Projects of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) which is a collaborative initiative of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, BSCL and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The project is being implemented at slum-level through partner NGO Humara Bachpan Trust.

Mama Nayak, 14-year-old girl from Bayababa Basti said such training should be given to all people as this would help them understand that the basic difference that divides men and women was sociological and not  biological.

Biswaranjan Sahoo, 16, from Buddheswari Labour Colony said that he came to know many things, especially about sex and gender through the event.

Inspector in-Charge of Mahila Police Station Banita Maharana talked about the crimes happening against young women in the society and how the young people especially girls should be made aware of the crimes so that they would not fall prey to such social menace.

Bibhuti Pradhan, resource person for the training programme said the training helped to create confidence among youth to raise voice against the gender-based violence.