Abhijit Dhillon sets out her campaign proposal, an assessed exercise for our LSE Masters module in ‘Advocacy, Campaigning and Grassroots Activism’. Based on her stakeholder mapping and power analysis, she proposes a three part campaign of norm shifting, policy change, and community advocacy.

Sexist slurs aren’t just words—they are dangerous background noise in a world that still tells itself it’s making progress. What happens when they are taken seriously and their place in schools is challenged?

Language Shapes Reality (Even If Reality Feels Hopeless Sometimes)

Walk into any school playground in India, and you’ll hear it—casual, everyday sexism tossed around like confetti at a party no one remembers signing up for. Words like behnchd* (sisterf*cker) and chutiya (vagina) are so deeply ingrained in our vocabulary that most don’t pause to consider their meanings or impact. And yet, here we are—grappling with rising gender-based violence and wondering why respect remains optional.

This strategy aims to engage policymakers at the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and potential funders by offering a roadmap to shift school cultures away from normalized misogyny. Through policy reform, educator training, and community mobilization, it seeks to shift norms and embed values of dignity and equity. Sure, systemic change is slow—and maybe true equality won’t happen in our lifetime—but it’s worth getting started.

The Root of the Problem: Why Sexist Slurs Matter (Even When They’re “Just Jokes”)

Sexist language isn’t harmless—it is a quiet, persistent signal that reinforces unequal power structures most of us pretend don’t exist. Language shapes what we believe, normalizes what we tolerate, and lays the groundwork for a world where demeaning women is routine.

This problem has only intensified with the rise of the manosphere—an online ecosystem of influencers, forums, and content creators who glorify dominance and denigrate empathy. Within this space, sexist language isn’t simply tolerated—it’s celebrated. Young boys are being socialized online to believe that respect is weakness, feminism is a threat, and language is a weapon. For them, using slurs isn’t just about expression—it’s a performance of belonging, power, and identity.

These slurs are echoed across homes, classrooms, and social media, shaping how gender is understood and policed. Schools, often unknowingly, become breeding grounds for these ideologies—places where silence from authority figures legitimizes discriminatory language.

To challenge this, the response must go beyond punitive discipline. It requires confronting the norms that allow sexist language to persist as cultural background noise.

Strategy for Change: Moving Beyond Awareness to Action

This strategy doesn’t propose banning words. It focuses on shifting power, transforming beliefs, and embedding new norms. Drawing on Lukes’ three dimensions of power and Rao and Kelleher’s Gender at Work grid, it addresses the visible, hidden, and invisible forces sustaining sexist language in schools.

At the core is a dynamic stakeholder mapping exercise that identifies key actors and points of entry:

• High-influence allies (progressive administrators, NGOs, CBSE officials) will be mobilized to lead systemic reform and help navigate institutional processes.
• Parents and guardians will be engaged via workshops and digital tools to challenge harmful norms at home.
• Resistant actors (conservative politicians, media voices) will be approached using neutral champions and evidence-based messaging.
• Unengaged faculty and student groups will be brought into the fold through peer-led initiatives, capacity building, and by amplifying positive deviance—those already modeling inclusive behaviour.

This mapping will be adapted across states, reflecting local overlaps, such as conservative parents in school leadership roles.

The Campaign: Three Pillars for Impact

The campaign’s three pillars—norm shifting, policy change, and community advocacy—draw on Bicchieri’s Social Norms Theory to challenge what people believe is normal and socially approved. Appiah’s concept of constructive shame reframes sexist slurs as dishonourable, not harmless, making room for moral transformation. By identifying and amplifying positive deviants already modelling respectful behaviour, the strategy fosters organic, peer-driven change. Together, these approaches shift the culture not through punishment, but by redefining what is admired, accepted, and expected within schools.

1. Shifting Social Norms: Students, Teachers, Families

Students: Peer-led “language labs” will train students in subtle norm-disrupting tactics—questioning intent, expressing disapproval, or simply responding with “That’s the best you’ve got?” Drawing on Bicchieri’s social norms theory, the aim is to close the gap between private disapproval and public silence.

Teachers: Gender-sensitivity workshops will equip educators with the language, tools, and confidence to address slurs when they occur, rather than ignore them.

Parents: Parent associations and informal groups (like WhatsApp communities) will be activated to reflect on intergenerational language habits and their impact.

2. Driving Policy Change: Influencing CBSE

Coalition Building: A cross-sector coalition of educators, NGOs, and parents will advocate for anti-discrimination policies and code of conduct updates within CBSE bye-laws.

Identifying Champions: High-credibility figures—activists, former principals, CBSE insiders—will act as neutral advocates to navigate pushback and maintain momentum.

Curriculum Integration: The Gender Equity Movement in Schools (GEMS) program will be introduced to foster early reflection on gender roles, identity, and respect.

3. Community-Led Advocacy: Public Engagement and Visibility

#PassTheRespect Campaign: A digital campaign featuring influencers, educators, and students sharing messages about language, masculinity, and inclusion.

Events and Competitions: Debates, storytelling workshops, and art contests will provide space for reflection, discussion, and public accountability.

Visual Messaging: Posters across school environments will serve as constant reminders that sexist language is not normal—and not acceptable. Slogans like “It’s Not Cool, It’s Disrespectful” reframe slurs not as rebellion but regression.

The Path Forward: What Success Looks Like

Change doesn’t happen overnight. This strategy embraces a phased rollout in 28 schools across different states and Union Territories, using data-driven evaluation to measure impact. By tracking changes in student behavior, teacher interventions, and parental engagement, it aims to create a scalable model for national implementation.

Conclusion: Language as Infrastructure for Change

Sexist slurs aren’t harmless—they are the gateway to a culture that devalues women. Schools can be powerful sites of change, but only if they commit to dismantling these deeply ingrained norms. This strategy doesn’t pretend to fix patriarchy overnight. What it does is offer schools, communities, and policymakers a blueprint to flip the script—and build classrooms where every word teaches respect.

The question is: Are we ready to flip the script? Or are we just going to sit back and wait for the next generation to figure it out while rolling their eyes at us?