The Role of Gender Sensitization in Sustainable Development: Insights from Kavita Kane

Abstract

Gender sensitization is a critical process aimed at addressing gender equality by challenging and reshaping the behaviors and perceptions that individuals hold about themselves and others in relation to gender. It is observed that individuals often possess ingrained attitudes and beliefs concerning gender roles and equality. Through gender sensitization, there is a concerted effort to promote equality by encouraging individuals to critically examine and deconstruct stereotypical notions associated with gender. The roles of men and women in society are intricately connected, yet despite their almost equal numbers, a significant disparity exists within the societal hierarchy, which traditionally places men in positions of power and governance. This societal structure often imposes an ideological expectation on women to accept male dominance. However, when this dominance becomes oppressive and intolerable, women are compelled to resist and challenge the injustices perpetrated by men. The persistence of gender stereotypes is frequently associated with extreme manifestations of feminism. Such dynamics are prevalent in the historical and, to some extent, contemporary contexts of our society. Even within mythological narratives, women are often portrayed as victims of patriarchy, subjected to discrimination based on caste, color, and particularly gender. This paper aims to explore the theme of gender sensitization as it pertains to marginalized female characters in Kavita Kane’s novel Karna’s Wife: The Outcast’s Queen. The novel focuses on the character of Urvi, a marginalized woman, and her efforts to navigate and challenge the societal structures that impede gender equality.