EXPLORING STUDENTS' OPINIONS ABOUT GENDER INCLUSIVITY IN GRADUATION PROGRAMS

All students should feel equal, safe and empowered in educational institutions. Gender has diversified itself
globally. The women’s rights movement is gaining ground, but very little has been achieved in terms of human
rights for the lesbian, gay bisexual, transsexual, and queer students in various schools and colleges of India. By
2030, India must achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 4.5 (Gender Equality and Inclusion) to eliminate
gender disparities in education. Educational institutions must promote and practice gender mainstreaming to
achieve gender equality. The NEP 2020 defines socially disadvantaged groups based on gender identities as,
“particularly female and transgender individuals,” but completely ignores including students from the
LGBQIA+ (T already included) community. Do our college colleges provide Social-Emotional-Ethical (SEE)
and inclusive learning by teachers and counselors? Accepting and respecting gender diversity is important in
sustaining a supportive and accepting educational and corporate environment. The researcher surveyed
undergraduates from a south Mumbai college, on their knowledge and opinions about understanding and
accepting the LGBT+ students in inclusive classroom interactions. The non-disclosure questionnaire for 200
students included items on awareness of gender diversity through media and classroom instructional activities,
the need for SEE Learning in the new NEP 2020 Curricula, and their willingness to advocate gender inclusivity
through SEE Learning. The results show that 87% of students were willing to advocate gender inclusivity
through SEE Learning activities. A significant 93% of students opined that gender inclusivity courses should be
mandatory minor courses in the NEP college curriculum.