By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 13: The Centre for GENDER at Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong joined hands with Faith Foundation, Shillong in a consultative workshop on ‘Creation of a Glossary of Khasi Words and Phrases on Reproductive Health’ at MLCU Hall, Nongrah, on Wednesday.
The workshop was launched with greetings by MLCU Chancellor Glenn C Kharkongor, mentioning that the 2014 book, The Languages of Meghalaya by People’s Linguistic Survey of India, included 20 varieties of Khasi spoken within the state. The workshop culminated with a road map and a suggestion to include all Khasi dialects and coin the most neutral and acceptable terms related to reproductive health.
The workshop which housed 40 experienced groups of people, including ASHA workers, nurses, doctors, social workers, counselors, advocates, linguists and academicians. Associate Professor at MCLU, Dr Lavinia Mawlong, expressed her ambition to provide a safe space to share and learn from our day-to-day fields of practice, to create indigenous terms and phrases that address reproductive health and sexuality.
The workshop’s aims were to list the terms associated with sexuality, to translate English terms concerning sexual reproduction health to Khasi and to publish a booklet of suggested and recommended words and terms in Khasi with diagrams. It was conceptualized owing to the lack of local terms to describe reproductive health as well as positive sexuality.
Generally, people, particularly children, are not encouraged to label their sexual reproductive organs aloud, much less have a conversation about sex and sexual reproductive health rights. With the help of communication engagement, the session’s objective was to begin at its roots and together develop plans to address what is usually hidden, shamed, or suppressed.
Following this, there was a contribution made by Faith Foundation’s work by Ms. Shannon D Massar (Director, Faith Foundation), sharing her experiences.