BUS HO GAYA! (Enough is Enough)
Through the Bus Ho Gaya (which translates to “Enough Is Enough”) project our Class 12 students coordinated and organised the painting of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport's (BEST) local buses in Mumbai with messages promoting GENDER EQUALITY.
In the context of recent disturbing events in India as well as India's high score of 56 on Masculinity in Geert Hofstede's 5-D model, they felt the need to address this deep rooted patriarchal construct of Indian society. This was part of the Make A Difference project. While they toiled in the sun painting the bus for almost 12 hours, batches of students flooded the bus to learn more about the issue at hand – female infanticide. Every student walked out feeling a sense of responsibility towards the women of our society.
In the context of recent disturbing events in India as well as India's high score of 56 on Masculinity in Geert Hofstede's 5-D model, they felt the need to address this deep rooted patriarchal construct of Indian society. This was part of the Make A Difference project. While they toiled in the sun painting the bus for almost 12 hours, batches of students flooded the bus to learn more about the issue at hand – female infanticide. Every student walked out feeling a sense of responsibility towards the women of our society.
When they were finally done painting the bus and peeling off the masking tape, the rusty red bus looked somewhat like this: covered in radiating triangles of loud, attractive colours; with the left side featuring the English slogan “She could be the PRESIDENT – Stop Female Infanticide”; the right side showing off the Hindi slogan “Maa bhi kabhi beti thi… Stop Female Infanticide” (a mother was once a daughter); and the back of the bus boasting our logo with the Marathi slogan “Mulgi majhi molachi” (my girl is invaluable) as well as the main cause “Promoting Gender Equality”. Each side of the bus also showcased a gender equality logo comprising stick figures of a boy and a girl balancing on a weighing scale. The outcome was stunning, and message widespread appreciated including through the social media.