Poetry of Gender Reality

YFLO Hyderabad hosted a thought-provoking event on July 27th featuring Lakshmi Krishnakumar, a renowned Shakespeare scholar, writer, and theatre director from England. The workshop, “Poetry of Gender Reality,” explored gender complexities through poetry and visual arts. The event was attended by 90 members and students , providing a much-needed space for introspection and dialogue, leaving attendees with a deeper understanding of gender dynamics.

Chairperson Ridhi Jain’s vision brought a unique platform for members to engage with profound themes. Lakshmi Krishnakumar’s expertise in using ancient wisdom to decode contemporary challenges created an immersive and thought-provoking experience. The event commenced with a dynamic performance of a scene from Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew,” followed by an exploration of the characters’ emotions. Krishnakumar’s approach, combining ancient wisdom with contemporary issues, captivated attendees. Through interactive sessions, participants explored the nuances of gender roles, stereotypes, and the pursuit of equality.

This splendid event was made possible through collaboration with Roots Collegium and Chandani from YogiBear Collectives for the Drama Training Alliance. YFLO FICCI trained drama students from the college for the Shakespearean act and awarded them certificates of appreciation from Lakshmi Krishnakumar and YFLO.

The workshop featured multiple sessions, each focusing on different aspects of emotional intelligence and its relevance to gender dynamics and leadership: exploring emotions in management principles, the role of emotional awareness and management in organisational behaviour, the value of emotions in leadership, practising gratitude, and emotions in communication. Participants enacted emotions and played an emotion recognition game, enhancing their understanding.

An art session featured works by famous artists like Picasso, including the study of “The Scream” for emotion recognition. This highlighted how visual arts can serve as powerful tools for addressing gender-related issues. The workshop emphasised the biological basis of gender differences, noting that every brain begins as a female brain and becomes male only eight weeks after conception. This foundation sets the stage for understanding gender dynamics.

Almost always, dialogues on gender equality turn into conflicts about gender supremacy, rendering efforts futile. Emotional Intelligence (EI) plays a crucial role here, fostering positive attitudes and sound decision-making in life and career. Poetry, an essential component in developing EI, aids in emotional exploration and understanding. Despite some anxiety about its complexity, poetry serves as a powerful tool for addressing emotional and gender-related issues.

The workshop demonstrated how poetry and visual arts could enhance one’s Emotional Quotient (EQ), crucial for self and social awareness, and sound decision-making in entrepreneurial contexts. Research indicates that, alongside cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence significantly impacts an individual’s success. Entrepreneurs, whether budding or established, must exercise and display various cognitive aspects of EI with diverse stakeholders. This workshop taught participants how poetry and arts could enhance their EQ, improving their ability to navigate gender dynamics and leadership complexities.

By bringing poetry into the conversation about gender, the workshop provided a unique and insightful approach to understanding and addressing gender-related challenges, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic mindset among attendees.