Women should grind ‘chakki’, sweep floors and do other household chores to stay fit: Rajasthan education dept magazine

india

Updated: Nov 11, 2017 14:21 IST

To stay fit, women may grind ‘chakki (stone grinder)’, fill water pitchers or sweep or mop floors, advised Rajasthan’s education department in its monthly magazine.

The magazine, Shivira, is meant for schoolteachers and usually carries essays on education, great personalities, or issues of general interest.

The 52-page November issue, apart from other essays, has a set of 14 instructions under the rubric ‘Swasth rehne ke saral upaay’ (Simple ways of staying fit).

In this, it also recommended against drinking alcohol and soft drinks-- particularly naming two beverage brands Coca Cola and Pepsi.

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.

Among others, it also dwelt on merits of green vegetables, germinated grains, milk, buttermilk, high-fiber flour, etc.

“Bhojan saada karo evam usey prasad roop mein grahan karo (Have simple food and eat it as if you’re taking religious offerings),” it suggested.

Advisory published in the November edition of Shivira magazine.

The allegedly sexist ‘health’ advice for women has particularly drawn flak from rights activists

“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 traditionally happened in our society and the writer was probably influenced by that. I assure you, there is no discriminatory intention behind this,” Didel added.

It’s not the first time that the education department found itself in the midst of a controversy.

The revised physical health and education textbook introduced this year says that eating meat causes a lot of harm to the body. Furthermore, a chapter on balanced diet in the book carries a six-line mantra to be chanted by students before meal.