Workshop on Gender Sensitisation by the Varta Trust Team

Schedule Event Date: 23rd March 2026

Date: March 23, 2026
Organized by: Department of Psychology, West Bengal State University
Conducted by: The Varta Trust
Department of Psychology, West Bengal State University organised a comprehensive workshop
on "Gender Sensitisation" for the students, facilitated by the "Varta Trust". Varta Trust is a non-
profit organization that promotes dialogue on gender and sexuality through publishing, research,
advocacy, training, and community services. Six members from their team were present and 58
students participated in this workshop. The programme was initiated with the primary objective
of fostering a more inclusive and empathetic campus environment. Throughout the seminar,
ingrained societal stereotypes were critically analyzed, and the nuances of the gender spectrum
were explored through a psychological lens.
The students were asked to imagine their gender and draw it on a paper as the facilitators
encouraged them to view gender objectively. The concept of intersectionality was profoundly
discussed, highlighting how overlapping social identities, such as class and race, also had the
ability to create experiences of discrimination. The discourse was facilitated by expert speakers
and advocates like Pawan Dhall, Sudipta Chakraborty and young trans queer leaders of the trust
focusing on actionable insights for promoting equity.
Furthermore, a safe space was established where participants were encouraged to question their
own perspectives without fear of judgment. The interactive nature of the workshop ensured that
participants were not merely passive recipients of information but were empowered to become
proactive allies.