Women should grind ‘chakki’, sweep floors to stay fit: Rajasthan magazine
To stay fit, women may grind ‘chakki, fill water pitchers or sweep or mop floors, advised Rajasthan’s education department in its monthly magazine. The magazine named Shivira, is meant for school teachers and usually carries essays on education, great personalities. The 52-page November issue, apart from other essays, has a set of 14 instructions under the rubric ‘Swasth rehne ke saral upaay’ It said while early morning walks, running, cycling, horse-riding, swimming or any other sports are good for health, women can also stay fit by doing various household chores. “It’s very shameful that the education department is reinforcing the same stereotypes that education is supposed to liberate us from,” said Kavita Srivastava, the national secretary of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties. Nathmal Didel, the director, secondary education, and magazine’s chief editor, too admitted that the domestic activities should not have been suggested as exercise specifically for women. “But that is how it has been happening in our society and the writer was probably influenced by that. I assure you, there is no discriminatory intention behind this,” Didel added. -PTC News
