Delhi School Teacher wins Martha Farrell Award
- 1 April, 2019
Known for her gender-synchronised teaching approaches in schools, Manu Gulati, a Delhi government school teacher, won the Martha Farrell Award under the category of the ‘Most promising individual’. Ms. Gulati has been evolving and implementing teaching approaches which address gender inequality in schools for the past 13 years. Her methods identify and address the unique barriers that keep girls out of school.Ms. Gulati began teaching in a government school in a low-income community in West Delhi in 2006. To empower her girls, she started focusing on increasing their participation in life skills education and enhancing their academic output. She also channeled her efforts towards sensitising, motivating and mobilising community structures (teachers, community heads, families and peers) in and around schools to eliminate cultural barriers that deter girls from pursuing education.
Ms. Gulati uses strategies such as local and community immobilisation, livelihood training, technology, dance, music and arts to improvise teaching methods. These help in imparting formal knowledge and technical skills to girl students. Her methods have helped her students in becoming more aware of themselves and the society.
Ms. Gulati also works with boys to build a gender equitable environment where all the students can learn, thrive and grow.
The Martha Farrell Foundation stated that “like Martha, Manu exemplifies that to realise gender equality, it has to be practiced in our everyday actions in both our personal and professional lives.”
The Martha Farrell awards are instituted in the memory of Martha Farrell who was a passionate civil society leader, renowned and respected in India and other parts of the world for her work on civil rights, gender equality and adult education. The awards are given in two categories - 'Most Promising Individual' and 'Best Organisation for Gender Equality', to individuals and organisations working toward issues pertaining to gender equality.
Image on home page:
image:
