In 2024, 200 police recruits at the Bihar Police Academy in India underwent an unorthodox form of training. Instead of sitting through lectures, reading exhaustive manuals or even performing physical training exercises in an academy, these officers were dressing up in costumes and roleplaying more like a theater troupe. Despite the recreational nature of the setting, the training had been designed to address a serious issue: violence against women. By acting out everyday scenarios faced by women in India, and even donning headscarves worn by women, officers stepped into the shoes of a population that faces high levels of violence and police bias.
Could this kind of empathy-building training really be the key to change?
