Samsung India brings an inspiring story of Seema Nagar who fought patriarchy to pursue her dream in electrical engineering. The dramatic representation of Seema Nagar who hails from a small village of Rajasthan has been created as an advertisement for Samsung’s CSR initiative. Seema defied gender stereotypes and went on to pursue training at Samsung Technical School in ITI, Jaipur.
While Samsung wanted to stress on the fact that they want to improve lives while collaborating human skills with technology, the idea behind the advertisement is what really drives the nail home. The ad begins with an eager father-to-be waiting with his elder brothers for the first cries of his newborn. His brothers are reassuring him that it will be a hat-trick and he will again be blessed with a son (because hey, why would anyone want a girl).
Seema’s story is a testimony for Samsung Technical Schools which were started in 2013, and today there are nearly 20 Samsung Technical Schools across India. The point is not the availability of these schools alone, what the ad seeks to confront is the social structures that have the possibility of becoming an obstacle for the opportunity. Accessibility can be achieved, but mindsets are an entirely different ballgame because gainful employment can only be achieved across different industries if students are allowed to pursue their dreams.
As she is growing up, Seema goes about parading a screw-driver and is immediately chided by her uncles. Her father, on the other hand, is encouraging and allows her to participate in kite-flying (which is supposed to be a sport for boys alone apparently!) Seema’s father is the torch-bearer as he fights for her rights and pushes her to pursue her career despite opposition within the household.
Seema enrols into a Samsung Technical Institute and is seen travelling to and fro from her college. One fine day, while her cousin is getting married, the light goes off. Seema approaches the generator like a boss. It is then when her family realises her true value (because women have to prove their worth to satisfy male ego or else they can’t compete with men). Her uncles tell Seema’s father that he was right and she indeed is like a son, which is when her father retorts with a slam to their presumptuous misogyny, “A daughter is a daughter,” and does not need to be equated with a son to prove her self-worth.
This CSR advertisement is a part of Samsung’s contribution towards ‘Skill India’. Today, Seema dreams big and wants to set up a ‘Service Centre’ in her village.
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