Rubber penis in a government family planning tool kit triggers backlash in Maharashtra

The country that has been the source of the Kamasutra, is now rejecting and getting offended about a family planning awareness campaign in Maharashtra, especially in Buldhana. Hello, 21st century!

The Maharashtra government recently launched a revamped family planning kit to create and raise awareness about the matter in rural Maharashtra. But a part of the kit seems to have triggered certain sections of society. This triggered section of society happens to be none other than the men in rural districts, who happen to be the relatives of female healthcare workers who are spreading the awareness.

At the end of the day, the rural men seem to have been supported by others in the illiterate, remote communities and by local politicians (in the opposition), who seem to project their inability to process their trigger and are using ''embarrassment for female healthcare workers'' as a reason to demand an apology from the Maharashtra state government.   

WHO IS THE HERO?

ASHAs ( i.e Accredited Social Health Activists) work together with the Maharashtra government and are assigned the task of counselling couples on family planning. It is an initiative by the Maharashtra government to educate the rural population that generally has a high degree of illiteracy, and where talking about sex is usually taboo. 

So, ASHAs are going door-to-door educating people about family planning and health issues that may arise due to lack of awareness. Since sex is a taboo topic, especially in remote areas, workers have to be sensitive while performing their duties like door-to-door education about reproductive health, sex, sterilisation, use of contraceptives, etc.  

Thus, the government creates family planning kits that are distributed to healthcare workers, so that they can be used to spread awareness on reproductive health.

Earlier, printed pamphlets with pictorial depictions were distributed by the workers to spread awareness. But the revamped family planning kit, which has been upgraded to include real-life look-a-like rubber models, has been embroiled in controversy. Especially the rubber replica of the male phallus. 

THE UNNECESSARY RUCKUS CREATORS

The Maharashtra government is led by Shiv Sena and NCP and some select opposition leaders in BJP have taken offense to these moves. Akash Phundkar, a BJP leader in Buldhana, has asked the government to apologise for spreading awareness using this rubber model and apologise to the healthcare workers. 

THE DOGLAPAN

The family planning kit consists of a rubber penis and a rubber uterus which is used by local healthcare workers, but usage of which is not mandatory. The kits are used to counsel people about family planning and are NOT given to people. 

Even sex experts feel that this would encourage more productive conversations instead of keeping these topics taboo, which might lead to misconceptions. 

But the irony is that some villagers in Buldhana, Maharashtra have taken offense to the rubber penis models, calling it ''graphic''. The rubber uterus apparently does not trigger them as much. 

WHY THE TRIGGER?

The ASHA workers, who have historically used pamphlets to do their job, now have to face changes in their work-life with the introduction of a life-sized model. Approaching rural people, where the taboo of talking about sex is prevalent, comes at a cost in Buldhana, as the healthcare workers' own male family members feel embarrassed.   

But the question remains; if healthcare workers themselves feel embarrassed to talk about it, how will the work ever be done?   

DOES THIS KIND OF BACKLASH ONLY HAPPEN IN INDIA? 

Nope. 

In 2019, the British came up with a new revamped Relationships and Sex education (RSE) curriculum after 20 years for all UK schools. This was created to be inclusive of the LGBTQ community, talk about menstrual health, consent, and had guidance on social media and revenge porn.

A planned protest against the teaching of LGBT + issues as part of the relationship and sex education programme was met by a counter-protest group displaying a large pride flag at Fernwood School in Wollaton this morning... #nottingham #LGBT pic.twitter.com/1VFKQ2SLJ7

— Charlie Burley (@CharlieBurley_) July 22, 2019

Though many saw it as a progressive move, some parents protested against this on grounds of religion. As parents stood outside schools, with a placard of ''My Kids, My Choice'', this led to at least 5 schools stopping from teaching this revamped curriculum in classes. 

In 2019, California saw a similar backlash when it passed a law mandating schools to share LGBTQ inclusive sex ed lessons on gender identity, gender expression and dealing with HIV. As the state tried to enact this in 2019, parents protested against this law and some even pulled out their kids from schools, so that they do not receive sex education from schools. While aghast parents called it ''indoctrination'' and a ''cognitive behaviour modification program'', advocates wanted such education to help students understand that they needed to respect others' gender identity in the hope of less sexual assaults in future. 

Lack of sexual education and other sensitive issues often puts people in vulnerable situations, which should be avoided at all costs. And if left unchecked, it will ultimately harm the rest of the generation, who need people to talk about it maturely.