Discussion about entry: Yuva Maitri (Friendship Among Youths) : MAVA’s Initiative on Gender & Masculinity Engaging Young Men and Redefining Masculinity
Hi harish, hats off to you for your efforts.. i would like to know how you have managed to garner financial support for your work especially in your outreach work other than in mumbai..
I managed to run the initiative for 2 years through a prestigious Fellowship, in Pune. Impressed with my accomplishments there, SwissAid India offered support to upscale the effort in Mumbai last year.
Through my strong networking skills, I built a rapport with voluntary bodies in Satara and Kolhapur district - in case of former a grassroots community developmental organization working with disadvantaged villages, in the latter it was a school of social work.
Strategically, i tried experimenting on a collaborative effort in both these districts - so as to optimize resources available. It was mutually agreed that my organization would contribute towards Capacity-Building and Honing the potential Communicators, the others would mobilise financial and other resources. Since the past one year, the collaboration has worked successfully.
SwissAid has shown interest in supporting the on-going program in Mumbai and Satara for the second year. Last week, the Collector of Kolhapur district convened a meeting of College-Principals to plan a long-term Gender-Sensitization Program engaging their students. Over 25 Principals gathered at the meeting demonstrated support to my proposed plan of action for the forthcoming academic year.
I am trying to raise funds, in the meanwhile, through a proposed Art show in Mumbai, apart from advocating about my cause through governmental channels and through media.
Great work Harish ,to sensitise young men about gender biases,taking a stand against violence etc ... .Glad to know that 25 Principals attended the meeting ..it shows how valuable your work is for educationists too. Best wishes
hemangi
The work that you are doing is really challenging and essential. I must appreciate your efforts. I myself, don't know what needs to be done to prove that I am a 'Man'. Is it 'Eve Teasing'?
I'm a guy who can easily mingle with girls and can make crystal clear friendship with them. My friends don't understand this. They themselves will not leave a single chance to comment about girls. Is it so necessary? Can't a guy and a girl share mere friendship?
I can understand the agony and anguish you have expressed through your comment.
As you would agree, there are several gender norms, which are being so systematically reinforced and perpetuated by key subsystems in society. In the norms pertaining to males and females, you find that there are persistent gender double-standards, which in fact are major impediments to both caring and supportive male-female relations.
Men, like women, are entrapped in moulds -- stereotypes that constantly puts pressures on them to be ''dominant'' ''active'', ''performers''and ''winners''. Images of masculinity are linked to being strong and violent.
You find that as a part of our faulty socialization in Indian society, boys and girls are never allowed to mingle freely, after they come of age. This is done in many direct and subtle ways -- at various levels including in educational sphere, where boys and girls are made to sit separately in classrooms and no attempt made to promote healthy interaction among them by their teachers nor parents.
In such a scenario, you could understand how healthy male-female friendship is not being encouraged. Thus, you find boys (who are termed as rowdy) who pass comments on passer-by girls may be doing so largely because they are never given any opportunity to mingle with girls and befriend in a healthy manner.
To enable a healthy male-female friendship, one has to challenge the gender-norms and through behaviour -- mingling with the other gender without any hesitation or ill-feeling, create alternatives. Of course, there will be further restrictions (more on girls), one has to face them and continue with their effort.
Such persons need not worry about proving to others that they are 'men'; by challenging traditional notions of masculinity, they are paving the way for a healthy boy-girl relationship.
Harish,
I'm incredibly inspired by your decades-long commitment to the issue of ending violence against women and promoting gender equality. Over the last several days, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has been taking place here in New York City. While there is a tremendous amount of energy and flow around the United Nations from visiting delegates, I remain struck but the stark contrast of men's participation. If there is going to be meaningful, sustainable change men have to be involved at events such as this one, with women. Thank you brother for the work and passion you bring.
Thanks, Jimmie, for your comment and words of appreciation.
If 'Men's Attitudes' is a significant aspect of the problem, then any meaningful solution addressing the root of the problem could be really possible if Men are involved as 'partners' and 'stakeholders'. I remember the words of noted Swedish playwright Eva Moberg, whom I had met years ago at a Conference. She had then shared with me the thoughts expressed at the First World Meet of Women in Mexico in 1975 -- 'No significnat changes in the status of women will ever happen, unless the traditional roles of men are examined and attempts are made to change them.' I want to add that Eva has been struggling to get acceptance to her cherished dream of organizing a UN Conference specially to explore various ways of 'Engaging Men to stop Gender-based Violence'. I remember she having formed a core group that has been advocating for the same, but has met rejection at various levels.
Bodies like the UNCSW should be proactively working for Advocacy on this, especially when bodies like UNFEM are seriously having Regional Consultations on the same.. THe path is really hazy and it calls for synergy of efforts by all concerned.
I am totally overwhelmed and inspired by the magnitude of your work. I must congratulate you for working with an innovative idea of tackling women's issues by working primarily with men. You also mentioned about telephonic helpline for distressed youths in mumbai. I have two questions 1) what was your objective behind starting this helpline considering the work you are doing ? and 2)what you do to promote the helpline ? My best wishes are with you. Thanking you.
Starting of the telephonic helpline for youths in Mumbai was an offshoot of my initiative with college youths. In all of our programs with college youths for past 3 years in Pune and Mumbai, the dire need among youths for a sensitive, patient and non-judgemental listener has been strongly felt.
The helpline was, thus, started in September 2009, to address a vital felt need of several youths and provide them a safe, open and sensitive space, where they can 'open up', comfortably talk about issues that they otherwise cannot talk to anybody else and get timely support to their specific gender-related problem -- all in an atmosphere of confidentiality and anonymity.
The aim of the helpline is not to solve the callers’ problems but to help the caller prioritize, deal with them and make life-situations more manageable. Besides providing factual information on sexuality matters by trained communicators, the helpline would also intend to make the person realize that making the most out of life is completely in his/her hands, thereby helping him/her to gain control over his life.
The helpline is presently promoted through specially designed posters and hand-bills distributed in various colleges and youth bodies across Mumbai. With the support of mediapersons, the helpline number is being periodically published in leading newspapers, apart from getting noteworthy coverage by way of analytical articles in multi-newspapers across the city. You may kindly view one such newspaper article attached with our entry.
Our helpline answers phone-calls between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. all days (including holidays) from teenagers, young men and women on anxieties, dilemmas and confusions faced on matters of Relationships, Violence and Sexuality. The helpline is being run from MAVA’s Counseling Centre in the suburbs and co-ordinated by a trained social work professional.
Phone-calls at the helpline are answered by a dedicated team of voluntary, trained Communicators, who also meticulously document the calls on a daily basis. The volunteers, mostly within the age-group of 21 – 30 years and hailing from diverse professions, work in shifts of minimum 2-3 hours a week.
Selected volunteers are periodically being trained by MAVA’s team and experts (like psychiatrists and sexologists) on answering phone-calls and documenting them with a sense of professionalism. None of the caller’s personal details (name, address etc.) except for his/her age (only if required) is asked.
Harish, I am highly impressed with your landmark initiative on Engaging Men as partners to prevent gender-based violence against women. Your consistent, painstaking efforts to promote a healthy dialogue among young men is laudable. As Regional Manager of ActionAid - India, women's empowerment is a high prority area and we always look for innovative solutions to address issues related to gender-based violence on women, and I find your initiative as a promising intervention.
In your entry, you mentioned about using wall-newspapers as a youth-friendly media for your communciators to engage their peers. I found that very interesting. You have mentioned thatin your implementation of idea that your communicators had prepared wlal newspapers on several topics like Farmers’ Suicides and Performance-Anxiety in Men. Could you elaborate on this particluar topic - how farmers' suicides and performance anxiety in men are connected?
Thanks.
The wall newspaper you are referring to was prepared by Ganesh Phule -- one of my communicators, who is a son of a farmer.
Through this particular wall newspaper issue, Ganesh engaged his peers on examining how Masculinity (in Indian society) is intrinsically linked with ‘performance’ by men at various phases of life. One aspect of performance is the shouldering of responsibility to earn and sustain the family. A man who does'nt fulfil this responsibility is not viewed as a 'good man' by the lay person in society.
Increasing number of Farmers' Suicides has been one of the disturbing social issues faced across India, especially in Maharashtra state, for the past many years. By explaining how the root cause behind a farmer's suicide is not the indebtedness or failure to get due prices for his crops (these may be seemingly the reasons), but the growing restlessness, entrapment that he finds himself due to non-fulfilment of the responsibility assigned by a patriarchal society. Entrapped in suffocating moulds, the farmer is unable to express his anguish and helplessness with any relative or confidant and with the bottling up of his emotions, he resorts to the extreme step of harming himself -- committing suicide by consuming pesticide.
Ganesh's fresh perspective of the situation (of farmers' susicides) was appreciated by not only many of the students, coming from rural backgrounds but also by his own college Principal. It was interesting to note that the former Vice-Chancellor of his University, who was appointed by State Government to do an indepth study of causes for Farmers' Sucicides, also had mentioned of 'Psychological Entrapment' as one of the major cause, in his report to the Government.
Good to know that you are reaching out to people across Maharashtra now. Did not know the project would do so well when I wrote about it last year.
What motivates you to keep working to make our society more gender just?
I was born and brought up in a community housing, where residents witnessed each others lives from close proximity. From an early time, I was exposed to incidences of gender-based violence - even in my own family. Being a reticent boy myself, I was often teased about 'being bailya' ( like a girl or a woman), which I thought was less of a comment on me and more on the status of women vis’-a-vis’ men. Being different and socially and economically vulnerable was difficult; this seemed clear to me all through my growing up years. And yet, persons who questioned cultural stereotypes in their own way inspired me. It made me realize that it is these people who present an alternative to closed value systems. They were the persons who kept the dialogue alive.
While doing my Masters in Social Work at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, my volunteering experience with a leading women’s organization in Mumbai made me uncomfortable with the approach of male-ostracization that they had adopted. In 1991, in response to a newspaper- appeal by a journalist calling for men to come together to prevent violence against women, I led the respondees to take the mantle and eventually established Men Against Violence and Abuse -- MAVA.
Throughout my life, I have been largely influenced by women. My paternal aunts have been very strong and have played a vital role in shaping my life. The kind of roles they were playing in terms of sharing of responsibilites at home is something that have allowed me to question the roles outside. The images of masculinity that I had with regards to my father being more sensitive and respectful towards women’s needs and their issues, was in absolute contrast to what I faced outside. I was shaped up by all these factors. One other woman who really influenced me was actress late Smita Patil, who had in all her films portrayed roles of the assertive Indian woman, breaking gender stereotypes.
Exposed to the significant contribution of women's movement towards empowerment of women and realizing how gender is a cross-cutting issue impacting social development, I started working passionately on the issue -- focusing on engaging men, who have been largely insulated and isolated from the process of transformation.
It's now more than 16 years I've been working on these issues -- the challenges have been many. Despite the several odds, I continue with my efforts, with a vision and determination...
Is anyone aware that more than twice the married Men commit suicide due to family and marital problems as compared to married Women? This is official figures of Indian Govt. and can be seen here: http://www.saveindianfamily.org/about-us/siff-news/972-one-married-man-c...
If men are so violent, then how come they end their lives so much more than the women?
Saying that women are the oppressed gender, how do you explain the fact that Women in general have longer lifespans than men? If Men are the oppressors, then how come they die younger as compared to the women?
I Guess it's time to come out of the created perspectives, and take a deeper look into the reality, unless all you care about is a lot of money and sex.
Ofcourse, those two are available in abundance if you show yourself as a macho man trying to 'Protect' women, who may even not need any protection from you!
Mithun, since your comment is not on my entry nor any aspect of the Competition, I was not inclined to respond to it. However, for the sake of the Changemakers Community, I wish to put down my comments..
By quoting data from a website of Save indian family(?) org, the writer is misleading readers by giving unsubstantiated information and by twisting facts.
Over years when several women have been dying due to atrocities committed by men, this or any likeminded organization didnt realize that Indian families need to be saved. If women constitute a part of the family, how come now only all of a sudden, these reactionary organizations feel that indian families need to be saved?
In a country where women are worshipped as Goddesses or treated as slaves / dependents but never respected as human beings, where estimated 5,00,000 girls are 'missing' every year (either not born due to sex-selective abortions or made to die after birth)according to Lancet journal,where women's labour, reproduction, sexuality, mobility and property are all systematically controlled by men, the supporters of indian families have yet to assert for women leading a violence-free life of dignity.
Well, Mr. Harish,
I wonder who's twisting data here... The data I quoted is not from the website I gave you. Mind you, the original source of the data is the Govt. of India, represented by NCRB. SIFF site only replicates the news published on the National Newspaper. The original link to the source is also provided in the same article.
Moreover, speaking of twisting data, I can also blame you of doing the same. Can you provide the authentic source of your exaggerated data?
Well Hemant, i dont think there can be any planned strategy for someone, who sincerely wants to be in any profession out of choice, who is passionate about his or her work.. Of course, there are always do's and dont's for all those who want to 'excel' in work / whatever they do rather than to 'achieve' so-called success!
The do's for any activist would include: developing his /her sensitivity, strong sense of commitment towards thrust area, developing his personal and professional skills, self-introspection, openness to newer thoughts / perspectives / viewpoints different from self on a issue,
networking with all likeminded individuuals and organizations who want to address the issue.
Among the most testing do's would include paying a price for the things that you do and the things that you dont do. For eg. as a part of my effort to be gender-sensitive person, I had decided to cut off ties with a guy (whom I had treated as my close friend) when I found him to be using swear words (in the name of mother-sister)in his regular conversations, when he resorted to smoking before girls whenever I had introduced him to them. It didn't took time for me to realize that such a person can never be my friend if he cannot respect my female colleagues or acquaintances. Once take that decision, I did not befriend any such person in future. And with a woeful dearth of true friends in your personal life, there could be many moments of solitariness and dejection.
The don'ts for an activist would include: not to compromise your ideals, values and lose your integrity for the sake of any consideration (material or any other), while working for the promotion of human rights of one group ensure that you do not in any way violate the human rights of other group.
The inspiring stories of changemakers from diverse fields featured in this site would give you more insights on the qualities of a sincere activist!
Thanks for your query.
Hi, I have a query: Do you collaborate with the women's group that are fighting violence against women in your endeavour? What is the reaction of these groups towards your initiative because i do think that in order to change society's attitude towards women we need to include men in the dialogue? And even children - both boys and girls.
Our organization MAVA has been collaborating with women's groups and several individual women from diverse fields, in our work on engaging men -- right from inception.
With the rapport built by me and my team over the years, we have developed strong ties with many women's groups - women who have been academicians and activists. While running the Counseling Program for needy men and women, we get a lot of referrals from women's organizations across Mumbai, eliciting our inputs in providing support on issues of marital conflict and sexual harassment. We also get requests from many of these groups to conduct interactive sessions for communities and neighbourhood citizens on issues of gender and masculinity.
While addressing contemporary gender issues like increasing violence on girls due to jilted love or sex-scandals involving influential sub-systems of society, MAVA, from time to time, has always joined hands with women's groups in articulating concerns of women victims and enabling the process of justice. Details on this could be seen under 'Achievements' section of our website www.mavaindia.org
MAVA has collaborated with women's groups in organizing series of workshops on self-defense and assertiveness training for groups of women across the state.
While shaping the vision and strategy of the organization, MAVA has consulted and taken into account the perspectives and concerns raised by veteran women's activists. In all our programs like public campaigns against domestic violence and misuse of sex-determination tests, women's groups as well as countless lay women have been joining and lending willing support. Our annual men's magazine, making waves in literary and social fields, has a sizeable readership of women across the state.
While implementing and up-scaling of my initiative 'Yuva Maitri on engaging college young men' in Pune and Mumbai, women's groups have been giving their all possible support in variety of ways: sharing communications material like posters, awareness-songs, skits and manuals, jointly conducting campaigns (for eg. with Breakthrough TV in it's 'Ring the Bell and Stop Domestic Violence' Campaign), protest demonstrations against incidents of atrocities and human rights violation of women (with MASUM - Mahila Sarvangeen Utkarsh Mandal, a leading women's organization and Tathapi, a women's resource centre), conducting gender-sensitization sessions for school boys and girls (with Stree Mukti Sanghatana, a veteran women's body in the state).
During its early years after inception, there were many women's groups who were very sceptical about MAVA's work. They were unsure about whether working with men would produce any positive outcome or not.
Gradually, over the years when they started taking note of MAVA's specific stands on addressing several contemporary issues of gender and sexuality, they developed confidence in the role played by men. While some of the radical activists still shun men / men's groups working on gender issue (thinking that men do not have any role to play, its a woman's domain, that men are the problem), there are today a sizeable number of women's activists and academicians who approach MAVA to promote a meaningful dialogue with men, after understanding our insights and perspectives in the field (for past 16 years). They are talking of jointly addressing matters on gender among boys / adolescent young men and making an impact as stakeholders. Veteran Women journalists have been pro-actively featuring MAVA's notable work from time to time. You could see more on this in the 'Press' Section on our website.
It was heartening to read your innovative effort in engaging men to prevent gender-based violence against women! We had supported your organization last year to conduct awareness-generation camps in 2 districts of the state and were quite impressed with the outcomes of the camps.
Your pioneering initiative, which began in Pune, and now being spread to Mumbai, Satara and Kolahpur districts is, indeed, laudable. Maharashtra state has always been first in India to introduce path-breaking innovations for empowerment of women, right from the 19th century efforts of social reformers like Mahatma Jotiba Phule. I'm glad that through your hard, consistent efforts for the past many years through Men Against Violence and Abuse(MAVA), you have demonstrated enterpreneurship that would go a long way in empowering women and enabling them to lead a violence-free life of dignity.
Wish you all the best in your endeavours in reaching out to youths on a vital subject!
It was heartening to read your innovative effort in engaging men to prevent gender-based violence against women! We had supported your organization last year to conduct awareness-generation camps in 2 districts of the state and were quite impressed with the outcomes of the camps.
Your pioneering initiative, which began in Pune, and now being spread to Mumbai, Satara and Kolahpur districts is, indeed, laudable. Maharashtra state has always been first in India to introduce path-breaking innovations for empowerment of women, right from the 19th century efforts of social reformers like Mahatma Jotiba Phule. I'm glad that through your hard, consistent efforts for the past many years through Men Against Violence and Abuse(MAVA), you have demonstrated enterpreneurship that would go a long way in empowering women and enabling them to lead a violence-free life of dignity.
Wish you all the best in your endeavours in reaching out to youths on a vital subject!
Harish, I had heard a lot about MAVA during my college tenure, but never got any opportunity to know more about its work. I was, therefore, very pleased after reading your entry and know the significant impact your pioneering efforts have been creating and making a difference to the lives of several women! Keep the good work going.
As a health-care provider, I can, to some extent, understand the many challenges you must be facing while working with men. Don't you find Men difficult to work with? If so, what are the reasons you think they behave like that?
Yes, Ashish, Men are extremely difficult to work with.
In general, working with men is much less efficient than working with women - more inputs, less and unpredictable outputs. We find Men, generally, lose interest easily, they are less forthcoming.
Vis-a-vis Women, Men have very low Emotional Quotient(E.Q.). They do not open up easily (even in front of their best male friends), are always insecure, do not know the worth of emotions and how to express positive or negative emotions.
They are reluctant to continue any initiative that does not guarantee economic gain or power within a short period.
Well, there are altruistic men, and purposes for which men would like to work. But then they prefer other fields - from social service to spirituality and religion for fulfilling such noble desires. Gender is surely NOT one of them.
Why do men behave like that? Surely not because they are from Mars and Women are from Venus.
The positive and negative traits generally found in men and women are results of their stereotyping. Hence, women’s ability to open up, share feelings, cry, relate to others, provide care and love are all products of the same process that makes men impermeable to emotions, dry, unwilling to cry and share.
Women have incentive in the process - they have nothing to lose but their chains; men have much more to lose (the patriarchial dividends -- as referred to the 'privileges men enjoy by virtue of being men' by noted Australian sociologist Raewyn Connell).
Men are extremely insecure, especially when they counter assertive, powerful women.
However, Conviction born through experience that gender is a social construct and hence subject to change with social engineering, can give us hope. Our constant perseverance by engaging men, as seen through the initiative of mine, gives us the positive feeling that men can be supportive and understanding, they can also be agents of change.
I am a practising psychiatrist in Mumbai,India. I have been closely observing Harish Sadani's work for the past 10 years. His organization, MAVA, has been actively involved in creating communicators out of young men, addressing the issue of violence against women and abuse and sensitizing the society about the same. His magazine "PURUSHSPANDAN" is dedicated exclusively to the same issues and provides a platform for expression of new ideas, utilizing energy of young men towards a constructive purpose. Harish is a sensitive, humble person who has a clear vision about the welfare of women and the role of men in the whole process. His activities include creating a network of communicators throughout the state of Maharashtra, India. His organization has taken considerable efforts to reach rural as well as urban areas of the state and sensitize men about the issues of violence against women and abuse. I wish him all the best in his work and strongly reccommend his name for an award in this field.
As a journalist covering developmental news, I was highly impressed with your website mavaindia.org that highlights the landmark initiative you have been so passionately running across 5 districts engaging men to stop and prevent violence against women.
You have rightly said that 'if men are seen as part of the problem, then any meaningful solution without involving them' will not improve the status of women significantly. We find that even economically independent women in India are dependent on men in their homes for taking key decisions about their lives.
The way you are engaging young men in youth-friendly and cost-effective media like group-discussions, film -festivals, youth meets, songs and street-plays is indeed praise-worthy.
Wish you all the best in your great work, that you have been silently and with a clear vision, doing for more than 16 years!
Harish Sir, I am so happy to see the amazing results of your 'Yuva Maitri' initiative you started in Pune, where i come from.
You may recall i was bit disheartened when I learnt that your initiative was meant only for boys largely in our college covered by your Program and i could not participate in it being a girl. But gradually, as i saw many of my male classmates discussing several things -- like sexuality which are a taboo in our society, without any inhibitions and with an open mind, I saw the importance of your work and could understand why you took efforts to involve only boys as a group - to give them a safe, non-threatening platform where they could open up and reflect.
I am so happy today that my male fellow-classmates from the college like Ganesh and Amol have been shaping as role-models for many many men and spreading messages of gender equality through their own examples! Without perhaps realizing that they are translating the words of our reverred father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi who had said 'Be the Change you want to see in the world'.
Thanks a million for enabling to make our world more humane and violence-free!
Hi Harishji, I appreciate the sincere, tireless efforts you have been taking to sensitize and ignite young minds from our college in Pune over the years! After going through your noteworthy website and this entry, I am so glad to see the fruits of your hard work..
Students of my college -- Sunil Chachar, Amol Kasar and many who were once so shy, non-confident and pessimistic are today a changed lot, thanks to your 'Yuva Maitri' Program, which my former college Principal always treated as her / college's Program as it was a truly path-breaking one. I remember how much pains you took in shaping these boys of our college, who are leaders today inspiring many many youths to prevent violence against girls / women in society.
I wish and hope you get all the support you need to replicate these efforts in other parts of the country.
Hi!I am Dr.Madhuri Sutey ,currently heading a department of a prestigious south-asian's first Women's University-SNDT women's University,which is committed to women's empowerment through education.I am extremely glad to read MAVA's entry on engaging young men to stop or prevent violence and abuse of women, It's a pressing need of the hour, where we need to involve not only concerned women, but also boys and men -especially of impressionable age when their ideas about "What it means to be a man" are shaping up. I also found your website very appealing and thought- provoking, giving a positive vibration ensuring that rights of the several disadvantaged womens are upheld and they are able to lead a life of dignity as empowered human beings!
Please keep your splendid work going up!!!
My best wishes to you for such a grate work. I would like to know more about your future plans where young male's like me can also join hand with you & contribute little.
Mangesh, thanks for your comment and query about my future plans.
Well, my program with young men in colleges would be continuing across the 5 districts in coming months with renewed determination. Through the telephonic helpline for distressed youths, MAVA plans to reach out to many youths - teenagers and young adults. We plan to conduct pre-marital guidance workshops for young men. You could see more details on our forthcoming events in 'Events' Section of our website www.mavaindia.org
We would welcome your contribution in any form towards furthering our cause to prevent violence against women.
Harish, I am very happy to know about the significant impact your initiative with young men on Gender and Sexuality is having. Your path is difficult and extremely challenging, as in a patriarchial world, where all the subsystems of society are reinforcing machismo, male-dominant attitudes, there any effort to create alternatives would not be so easy.
I found your initiative strikingly noteworthy as it explores varied media in engaging young men towards a 'healthy' dialogue on gender matters. I had the great opportunity to closely interact with your highly motivated communicators last year when they conducted a massive campaign in my Aurangabad district reaching out to many youths. I am amazed as to how ordinary, rural, young men of 18 to 20 years are self-introspecting on issues of violence against women and are redefining Masculinity by their own examples -- by Walking the Talk! This is absolutely fantastic!
I look forward to having you and your team conduct gender-workshops for youths in my city in near future!
Namaste Harish Sir. I had attended your workshop in our college last November and I was inspired by your talk so much that I have started experimenting with the thoughts on myself.
Recently through an article in Times of India I came to know of your Yuvamaitri Helpline. At the same time one of my friend was going through a lot of depression because of his family problems so I suggested him to call your helpline number. I must thank you because now he is more relaxed. It is not that his problems have been solved but he has become more calm and clear in his thoughts.
Wishing you best of luck.
Comentarios
Hi harish, hats off to you for your efforts.. i would like to know how you have managed to garner financial support for your work especially in your outreach work other than in mumbai..
Thanks for your query.
I managed to run the initiative for 2 years through a prestigious Fellowship, in Pune. Impressed with my accomplishments there, SwissAid India offered support to upscale the effort in Mumbai last year.
Through my strong networking skills, I built a rapport with voluntary bodies in Satara and Kolhapur district - in case of former a grassroots community developmental organization working with disadvantaged villages, in the latter it was a school of social work.
Strategically, i tried experimenting on a collaborative effort in both these districts - so as to optimize resources available. It was mutually agreed that my organization would contribute towards Capacity-Building and Honing the potential Communicators, the others would mobilise financial and other resources. Since the past one year, the collaboration has worked successfully.
SwissAid has shown interest in supporting the on-going program in Mumbai and Satara for the second year. Last week, the Collector of Kolhapur district convened a meeting of College-Principals to plan a long-term Gender-Sensitization Program engaging their students. Over 25 Principals gathered at the meeting demonstrated support to my proposed plan of action for the forthcoming academic year.
I am trying to raise funds, in the meanwhile, through a proposed Art show in Mumbai, apart from advocating about my cause through governmental channels and through media.
Great work Harish ,to sensitise young men about gender biases,taking a stand against violence etc ... .Glad to know that 25 Principals attended the meeting ..it shows how valuable your work is for educationists too. Best wishes
hemangi
Hi Harish,
The work that you are doing is really challenging and essential. I must appreciate your efforts. I myself, don't know what needs to be done to prove that I am a 'Man'. Is it 'Eve Teasing'?
I'm a guy who can easily mingle with girls and can make crystal clear friendship with them. My friends don't understand this. They themselves will not leave a single chance to comment about girls. Is it so necessary? Can't a guy and a girl share mere friendship?
Hi Sandy,
I can understand the agony and anguish you have expressed through your comment.
As you would agree, there are several gender norms, which are being so systematically reinforced and perpetuated by key subsystems in society. In the norms pertaining to males and females, you find that there are persistent gender double-standards, which in fact are major impediments to both caring and supportive male-female relations.
Men, like women, are entrapped in moulds -- stereotypes that constantly puts pressures on them to be ''dominant'' ''active'', ''performers''and ''winners''. Images of masculinity are linked to being strong and violent.
You find that as a part of our faulty socialization in Indian society, boys and girls are never allowed to mingle freely, after they come of age. This is done in many direct and subtle ways -- at various levels including in educational sphere, where boys and girls are made to sit separately in classrooms and no attempt made to promote healthy interaction among them by their teachers nor parents.
In such a scenario, you could understand how healthy male-female friendship is not being encouraged. Thus, you find boys (who are termed as rowdy) who pass comments on passer-by girls may be doing so largely because they are never given any opportunity to mingle with girls and befriend in a healthy manner.
To enable a healthy male-female friendship, one has to challenge the gender-norms and through behaviour -- mingling with the other gender without any hesitation or ill-feeling, create alternatives. Of course, there will be further restrictions (more on girls), one has to face them and continue with their effort.
Such persons need not worry about proving to others that they are 'men'; by challenging traditional notions of masculinity, they are paving the way for a healthy boy-girl relationship.
Harish,
I'm incredibly inspired by your decades-long commitment to the issue of ending violence against women and promoting gender equality. Over the last several days, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has been taking place here in New York City. While there is a tremendous amount of energy and flow around the United Nations from visiting delegates, I remain struck but the stark contrast of men's participation. If there is going to be meaningful, sustainable change men have to be involved at events such as this one, with women. Thank you brother for the work and passion you bring.
Peace,
Jimmie
www.manupcampaign.org
Thanks, Jimmie, for your comment and words of appreciation.
If 'Men's Attitudes' is a significant aspect of the problem, then any meaningful solution addressing the root of the problem could be really possible if Men are involved as 'partners' and 'stakeholders'. I remember the words of noted Swedish playwright Eva Moberg, whom I had met years ago at a Conference. She had then shared with me the thoughts expressed at the First World Meet of Women in Mexico in 1975 -- 'No significnat changes in the status of women will ever happen, unless the traditional roles of men are examined and attempts are made to change them.' I want to add that Eva has been struggling to get acceptance to her cherished dream of organizing a UN Conference specially to explore various ways of 'Engaging Men to stop Gender-based Violence'. I remember she having formed a core group that has been advocating for the same, but has met rejection at various levels.
Bodies like the UNCSW should be proactively working for Advocacy on this, especially when bodies like UNFEM are seriously having Regional Consultations on the same.. THe path is really hazy and it calls for synergy of efforts by all concerned.
I am totally overwhelmed and inspired by the magnitude of your work. I must congratulate you for working with an innovative idea of tackling women's issues by working primarily with men. You also mentioned about telephonic helpline for distressed youths in mumbai. I have two questions 1) what was your objective behind starting this helpline considering the work you are doing ? and 2)what you do to promote the helpline ? My best wishes are with you. Thanking you.
Thanks Anand for your wishes and query.
Starting of the telephonic helpline for youths in Mumbai was an offshoot of my initiative with college youths. In all of our programs with college youths for past 3 years in Pune and Mumbai, the dire need among youths for a sensitive, patient and non-judgemental listener has been strongly felt.
The helpline was, thus, started in September 2009, to address a vital felt need of several youths and provide them a safe, open and sensitive space, where they can 'open up', comfortably talk about issues that they otherwise cannot talk to anybody else and get timely support to their specific gender-related problem -- all in an atmosphere of confidentiality and anonymity.
The aim of the helpline is not to solve the callers’ problems but to help the caller prioritize, deal with them and make life-situations more manageable. Besides providing factual information on sexuality matters by trained communicators, the helpline would also intend to make the person realize that making the most out of life is completely in his/her hands, thereby helping him/her to gain control over his life.
The helpline is presently promoted through specially designed posters and hand-bills distributed in various colleges and youth bodies across Mumbai. With the support of mediapersons, the helpline number is being periodically published in leading newspapers, apart from getting noteworthy coverage by way of analytical articles in multi-newspapers across the city. You may kindly view one such newspaper article attached with our entry.
Harish, your effort has been a commendable one. Can you tell me more about the helpline functioning on day to day basis?
Our helpline answers phone-calls between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. all days (including holidays) from teenagers, young men and women on anxieties, dilemmas and confusions faced on matters of Relationships, Violence and Sexuality. The helpline is being run from MAVA’s Counseling Centre in the suburbs and co-ordinated by a trained social work professional.
Phone-calls at the helpline are answered by a dedicated team of voluntary, trained Communicators, who also meticulously document the calls on a daily basis. The volunteers, mostly within the age-group of 21 – 30 years and hailing from diverse professions, work in shifts of minimum 2-3 hours a week.
Selected volunteers are periodically being trained by MAVA’s team and experts (like psychiatrists and sexologists) on answering phone-calls and documenting them with a sense of professionalism. None of the caller’s personal details (name, address etc.) except for his/her age (only if required) is asked.
Harish, I am highly impressed with your landmark initiative on Engaging Men as partners to prevent gender-based violence against women. Your consistent, painstaking efforts to promote a healthy dialogue among young men is laudable. As Regional Manager of ActionAid - India, women's empowerment is a high prority area and we always look for innovative solutions to address issues related to gender-based violence on women, and I find your initiative as a promising intervention.
In your entry, you mentioned about using wall-newspapers as a youth-friendly media for your communciators to engage their peers. I found that very interesting. You have mentioned thatin your implementation of idea that your communicators had prepared wlal newspapers on several topics like Farmers’ Suicides and Performance-Anxiety in Men. Could you elaborate on this particluar topic - how farmers' suicides and performance anxiety in men are connected?
Thanks.
Nirja, thanks for your query.
The wall newspaper you are referring to was prepared by Ganesh Phule -- one of my communicators, who is a son of a farmer.
Through this particular wall newspaper issue, Ganesh engaged his peers on examining how Masculinity (in Indian society) is intrinsically linked with ‘performance’ by men at various phases of life. One aspect of performance is the shouldering of responsibility to earn and sustain the family. A man who does'nt fulfil this responsibility is not viewed as a 'good man' by the lay person in society.
Increasing number of Farmers' Suicides has been one of the disturbing social issues faced across India, especially in Maharashtra state, for the past many years. By explaining how the root cause behind a farmer's suicide is not the indebtedness or failure to get due prices for his crops (these may be seemingly the reasons), but the growing restlessness, entrapment that he finds himself due to non-fulfilment of the responsibility assigned by a patriarchal society. Entrapped in suffocating moulds, the farmer is unable to express his anguish and helplessness with any relative or confidant and with the bottling up of his emotions, he resorts to the extreme step of harming himself -- committing suicide by consuming pesticide.
Ganesh's fresh perspective of the situation (of farmers' susicides) was appreciated by not only many of the students, coming from rural backgrounds but also by his own college Principal. It was interesting to note that the former Vice-Chancellor of his University, who was appointed by State Government to do an indepth study of causes for Farmers' Sucicides, also had mentioned of 'Psychological Entrapment' as one of the major cause, in his report to the Government.
Hi,
Good to know that you are reaching out to people across Maharashtra now. Did not know the project would do so well when I wrote about it last year.
What motivates you to keep working to make our society more gender just?
Neha, thanks for your query.
I was born and brought up in a community housing, where residents witnessed each others lives from close proximity. From an early time, I was exposed to incidences of gender-based violence - even in my own family. Being a reticent boy myself, I was often teased about 'being bailya' ( like a girl or a woman), which I thought was less of a comment on me and more on the status of women vis’-a-vis’ men. Being different and socially and economically vulnerable was difficult; this seemed clear to me all through my growing up years. And yet, persons who questioned cultural stereotypes in their own way inspired me. It made me realize that it is these people who present an alternative to closed value systems. They were the persons who kept the dialogue alive.
While doing my Masters in Social Work at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, my volunteering experience with a leading women’s organization in Mumbai made me uncomfortable with the approach of male-ostracization that they had adopted. In 1991, in response to a newspaper- appeal by a journalist calling for men to come together to prevent violence against women, I led the respondees to take the mantle and eventually established Men Against Violence and Abuse -- MAVA.
Throughout my life, I have been largely influenced by women. My paternal aunts have been very strong and have played a vital role in shaping my life. The kind of roles they were playing in terms of sharing of responsibilites at home is something that have allowed me to question the roles outside. The images of masculinity that I had with regards to my father being more sensitive and respectful towards women’s needs and their issues, was in absolute contrast to what I faced outside. I was shaped up by all these factors. One other woman who really influenced me was actress late Smita Patil, who had in all her films portrayed roles of the assertive Indian woman, breaking gender stereotypes.
Exposed to the significant contribution of women's movement towards empowerment of women and realizing how gender is a cross-cutting issue impacting social development, I started working passionately on the issue -- focusing on engaging men, who have been largely insulated and isolated from the process of transformation.
It's now more than 16 years I've been working on these issues -- the challenges have been many. Despite the several odds, I continue with my efforts, with a vision and determination...
Is anyone aware that more than twice the married Men commit suicide due to family and marital problems as compared to married Women? This is official figures of Indian Govt. and can be seen here: http://www.saveindianfamily.org/about-us/siff-news/972-one-married-man-c...
If men are so violent, then how come they end their lives so much more than the women?
Saying that women are the oppressed gender, how do you explain the fact that Women in general have longer lifespans than men? If Men are the oppressors, then how come they die younger as compared to the women?
I Guess it's time to come out of the created perspectives, and take a deeper look into the reality, unless all you care about is a lot of money and sex.
Ofcourse, those two are available in abundance if you show yourself as a macho man trying to 'Protect' women, who may even not need any protection from you!
Mithun, since your comment is not on my entry nor any aspect of the Competition, I was not inclined to respond to it. However, for the sake of the Changemakers Community, I wish to put down my comments..
By quoting data from a website of Save indian family(?) org, the writer is misleading readers by giving unsubstantiated information and by twisting facts.
Over years when several women have been dying due to atrocities committed by men, this or any likeminded organization didnt realize that Indian families need to be saved. If women constitute a part of the family, how come now only all of a sudden, these reactionary organizations feel that indian families need to be saved?
In a country where women are worshipped as Goddesses or treated as slaves / dependents but never respected as human beings, where estimated 5,00,000 girls are 'missing' every year (either not born due to sex-selective abortions or made to die after birth)according to Lancet journal,where women's labour, reproduction, sexuality, mobility and property are all systematically controlled by men, the supporters of indian families have yet to assert for women leading a violence-free life of dignity.
Well, Mr. Harish,
I wonder who's twisting data here... The data I quoted is not from the website I gave you. Mind you, the original source of the data is the Govt. of India, represented by NCRB. SIFF site only replicates the news published on the National Newspaper. The original link to the source is also provided in the same article.
Moreover, speaking of twisting data, I can also blame you of doing the same. Can you provide the authentic source of your exaggerated data?
Dear Harish,
Superb work. can you please share your stratergy towards this long term presence. what are the qualities one activist should have?
Well Hemant, i dont think there can be any planned strategy for someone, who sincerely wants to be in any profession out of choice, who is passionate about his or her work.. Of course, there are always do's and dont's for all those who want to 'excel' in work / whatever they do rather than to 'achieve' so-called success!
The do's for any activist would include: developing his /her sensitivity, strong sense of commitment towards thrust area, developing his personal and professional skills, self-introspection, openness to newer thoughts / perspectives / viewpoints different from self on a issue,
networking with all likeminded individuuals and organizations who want to address the issue.
Among the most testing do's would include paying a price for the things that you do and the things that you dont do. For eg. as a part of my effort to be gender-sensitive person, I had decided to cut off ties with a guy (whom I had treated as my close friend) when I found him to be using swear words (in the name of mother-sister)in his regular conversations, when he resorted to smoking before girls whenever I had introduced him to them. It didn't took time for me to realize that such a person can never be my friend if he cannot respect my female colleagues or acquaintances. Once take that decision, I did not befriend any such person in future. And with a woeful dearth of true friends in your personal life, there could be many moments of solitariness and dejection.
The don'ts for an activist would include: not to compromise your ideals, values and lose your integrity for the sake of any consideration (material or any other), while working for the promotion of human rights of one group ensure that you do not in any way violate the human rights of other group.
The inspiring stories of changemakers from diverse fields featured in this site would give you more insights on the qualities of a sincere activist!
Thanks for your query.
Hi, I have a query: Do you collaborate with the women's group that are fighting violence against women in your endeavour? What is the reaction of these groups towards your initiative because i do think that in order to change society's attitude towards women we need to include men in the dialogue? And even children - both boys and girls.
Thanks Mini for your query.
Our organization MAVA has been collaborating with women's groups and several individual women from diverse fields, in our work on engaging men -- right from inception.
With the rapport built by me and my team over the years, we have developed strong ties with many women's groups - women who have been academicians and activists. While running the Counseling Program for needy men and women, we get a lot of referrals from women's organizations across Mumbai, eliciting our inputs in providing support on issues of marital conflict and sexual harassment. We also get requests from many of these groups to conduct interactive sessions for communities and neighbourhood citizens on issues of gender and masculinity.
While addressing contemporary gender issues like increasing violence on girls due to jilted love or sex-scandals involving influential sub-systems of society, MAVA, from time to time, has always joined hands with women's groups in articulating concerns of women victims and enabling the process of justice. Details on this could be seen under 'Achievements' section of our website www.mavaindia.org
MAVA has collaborated with women's groups in organizing series of workshops on self-defense and assertiveness training for groups of women across the state.
While shaping the vision and strategy of the organization, MAVA has consulted and taken into account the perspectives and concerns raised by veteran women's activists. In all our programs like public campaigns against domestic violence and misuse of sex-determination tests, women's groups as well as countless lay women have been joining and lending willing support. Our annual men's magazine, making waves in literary and social fields, has a sizeable readership of women across the state.
While implementing and up-scaling of my initiative 'Yuva Maitri on engaging college young men' in Pune and Mumbai, women's groups have been giving their all possible support in variety of ways: sharing communications material like posters, awareness-songs, skits and manuals, jointly conducting campaigns (for eg. with Breakthrough TV in it's 'Ring the Bell and Stop Domestic Violence' Campaign), protest demonstrations against incidents of atrocities and human rights violation of women (with MASUM - Mahila Sarvangeen Utkarsh Mandal, a leading women's organization and Tathapi, a women's resource centre), conducting gender-sensitization sessions for school boys and girls (with Stree Mukti Sanghatana, a veteran women's body in the state).
During its early years after inception, there were many women's groups who were very sceptical about MAVA's work. They were unsure about whether working with men would produce any positive outcome or not.
Gradually, over the years when they started taking note of MAVA's specific stands on addressing several contemporary issues of gender and sexuality, they developed confidence in the role played by men. While some of the radical activists still shun men / men's groups working on gender issue (thinking that men do not have any role to play, its a woman's domain, that men are the problem), there are today a sizeable number of women's activists and academicians who approach MAVA to promote a meaningful dialogue with men, after understanding our insights and perspectives in the field (for past 16 years). They are talking of jointly addressing matters on gender among boys / adolescent young men and making an impact as stakeholders. Veteran Women journalists have been pro-actively featuring MAVA's notable work from time to time. You could see more on this in the 'Press' Section on our website.
It was heartening to read your innovative effort in engaging men to prevent gender-based violence against women! We had supported your organization last year to conduct awareness-generation camps in 2 districts of the state and were quite impressed with the outcomes of the camps.
Your pioneering initiative, which began in Pune, and now being spread to Mumbai, Satara and Kolahpur districts is, indeed, laudable. Maharashtra state has always been first in India to introduce path-breaking innovations for empowerment of women, right from the 19th century efforts of social reformers like Mahatma Jotiba Phule. I'm glad that through your hard, consistent efforts for the past many years through Men Against Violence and Abuse(MAVA), you have demonstrated enterpreneurship that would go a long way in empowering women and enabling them to lead a violence-free life of dignity.
Wish you all the best in your endeavours in reaching out to youths on a vital subject!
It was heartening to read your innovative effort in engaging men to prevent gender-based violence against women! We had supported your organization last year to conduct awareness-generation camps in 2 districts of the state and were quite impressed with the outcomes of the camps.
Your pioneering initiative, which began in Pune, and now being spread to Mumbai, Satara and Kolahpur districts is, indeed, laudable. Maharashtra state has always been first in India to introduce path-breaking innovations for empowerment of women, right from the 19th century efforts of social reformers like Mahatma Jotiba Phule. I'm glad that through your hard, consistent efforts for the past many years through Men Against Violence and Abuse(MAVA), you have demonstrated enterpreneurship that would go a long way in empowering women and enabling them to lead a violence-free life of dignity.
Wish you all the best in your endeavours in reaching out to youths on a vital subject!
Harish, I had heard a lot about MAVA during my college tenure, but never got any opportunity to know more about its work. I was, therefore, very pleased after reading your entry and know the significant impact your pioneering efforts have been creating and making a difference to the lives of several women! Keep the good work going.
As a health-care provider, I can, to some extent, understand the many challenges you must be facing while working with men. Don't you find Men difficult to work with? If so, what are the reasons you think they behave like that?
Yes, Ashish, Men are extremely difficult to work with.
In general, working with men is much less efficient than working with women - more inputs, less and unpredictable outputs. We find Men, generally, lose interest easily, they are less forthcoming.
Vis-a-vis Women, Men have very low Emotional Quotient(E.Q.). They do not open up easily (even in front of their best male friends), are always insecure, do not know the worth of emotions and how to express positive or negative emotions.
They are reluctant to continue any initiative that does not guarantee economic gain or power within a short period.
Well, there are altruistic men, and purposes for which men would like to work. But then they prefer other fields - from social service to spirituality and religion for fulfilling such noble desires. Gender is surely NOT one of them.
Why do men behave like that? Surely not because they are from Mars and Women are from Venus.
The positive and negative traits generally found in men and women are results of their stereotyping. Hence, women’s ability to open up, share feelings, cry, relate to others, provide care and love are all products of the same process that makes men impermeable to emotions, dry, unwilling to cry and share.
Women have incentive in the process - they have nothing to lose but their chains; men have much more to lose (the patriarchial dividends -- as referred to the 'privileges men enjoy by virtue of being men' by noted Australian sociologist Raewyn Connell).
Men are extremely insecure, especially when they counter assertive, powerful women.
However, Conviction born through experience that gender is a social construct and hence subject to change with social engineering, can give us hope. Our constant perseverance by engaging men, as seen through the initiative of mine, gives us the positive feeling that men can be supportive and understanding, they can also be agents of change.
I am a practising psychiatrist in Mumbai,India. I have been closely observing Harish Sadani's work for the past 10 years. His organization, MAVA, has been actively involved in creating communicators out of young men, addressing the issue of violence against women and abuse and sensitizing the society about the same. His magazine "PURUSHSPANDAN" is dedicated exclusively to the same issues and provides a platform for expression of new ideas, utilizing energy of young men towards a constructive purpose. Harish is a sensitive, humble person who has a clear vision about the welfare of women and the role of men in the whole process. His activities include creating a network of communicators throughout the state of Maharashtra, India. His organization has taken considerable efforts to reach rural as well as urban areas of the state and sensitize men about the issues of violence against women and abuse. I wish him all the best in his work and strongly reccommend his name for an award in this field.
As a journalist covering developmental news, I was highly impressed with your website mavaindia.org that highlights the landmark initiative you have been so passionately running across 5 districts engaging men to stop and prevent violence against women.
You have rightly said that 'if men are seen as part of the problem, then any meaningful solution without involving them' will not improve the status of women significantly. We find that even economically independent women in India are dependent on men in their homes for taking key decisions about their lives.
The way you are engaging young men in youth-friendly and cost-effective media like group-discussions, film -festivals, youth meets, songs and street-plays is indeed praise-worthy.
Wish you all the best in your great work, that you have been silently and with a clear vision, doing for more than 16 years!
Harish Sir, I am so happy to see the amazing results of your 'Yuva Maitri' initiative you started in Pune, where i come from.
You may recall i was bit disheartened when I learnt that your initiative was meant only for boys largely in our college covered by your Program and i could not participate in it being a girl. But gradually, as i saw many of my male classmates discussing several things -- like sexuality which are a taboo in our society, without any inhibitions and with an open mind, I saw the importance of your work and could understand why you took efforts to involve only boys as a group - to give them a safe, non-threatening platform where they could open up and reflect.
I am so happy today that my male fellow-classmates from the college like Ganesh and Amol have been shaping as role-models for many many men and spreading messages of gender equality through their own examples! Without perhaps realizing that they are translating the words of our reverred father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi who had said 'Be the Change you want to see in the world'.
Thanks a million for enabling to make our world more humane and violence-free!
Hi Harishji, I appreciate the sincere, tireless efforts you have been taking to sensitize and ignite young minds from our college in Pune over the years! After going through your noteworthy website and this entry, I am so glad to see the fruits of your hard work..
Students of my college -- Sunil Chachar, Amol Kasar and many who were once so shy, non-confident and pessimistic are today a changed lot, thanks to your 'Yuva Maitri' Program, which my former college Principal always treated as her / college's Program as it was a truly path-breaking one. I remember how much pains you took in shaping these boys of our college, who are leaders today inspiring many many youths to prevent violence against girls / women in society.
I wish and hope you get all the support you need to replicate these efforts in other parts of the country.
Hi!I am Dr.Madhuri Sutey ,currently heading a department of a prestigious south-asian's first Women's University-SNDT women's University,which is committed to women's empowerment through education.I am extremely glad to read MAVA's entry on engaging young men to stop or prevent violence and abuse of women, It's a pressing need of the hour, where we need to involve not only concerned women, but also boys and men -especially of impressionable age when their ideas about "What it means to be a man" are shaping up. I also found your website very appealing and thought- provoking, giving a positive vibration ensuring that rights of the several disadvantaged womens are upheld and they are able to lead a life of dignity as empowered human beings!
Please keep your splendid work going up!!!
Dear Harish,
My best wishes to you for such a grate work. I would like to know more about your future plans where young male's like me can also join hand with you & contribute little.
Best Regards,
Mangesh
Mangesh, thanks for your comment and query about my future plans.
Well, my program with young men in colleges would be continuing across the 5 districts in coming months with renewed determination. Through the telephonic helpline for distressed youths, MAVA plans to reach out to many youths - teenagers and young adults. We plan to conduct pre-marital guidance workshops for young men. You could see more details on our forthcoming events in 'Events' Section of our website www.mavaindia.org
We would welcome your contribution in any form towards furthering our cause to prevent violence against women.
Harish, I am very happy to know about the significant impact your initiative with young men on Gender and Sexuality is having. Your path is difficult and extremely challenging, as in a patriarchial world, where all the subsystems of society are reinforcing machismo, male-dominant attitudes, there any effort to create alternatives would not be so easy.
I found your initiative strikingly noteworthy as it explores varied media in engaging young men towards a 'healthy' dialogue on gender matters. I had the great opportunity to closely interact with your highly motivated communicators last year when they conducted a massive campaign in my Aurangabad district reaching out to many youths. I am amazed as to how ordinary, rural, young men of 18 to 20 years are self-introspecting on issues of violence against women and are redefining Masculinity by their own examples -- by Walking the Talk! This is absolutely fantastic!
I look forward to having you and your team conduct gender-workshops for youths in my city in near future!
Namaste Harish Sir. I had attended your workshop in our college last November and I was inspired by your talk so much that I have started experimenting with the thoughts on myself.
Recently through an article in Times of India I came to know of your Yuvamaitri Helpline. At the same time one of my friend was going through a lot of depression because of his family problems so I suggested him to call your helpline number. I must thank you because now he is more relaxed. It is not that his problems have been solved but he has become more calm and clear in his thoughts.
Wishing you best of luck.
Enviar un comentario nuevo