What can engaging with men and boys do to create lasting change?
Stories of Collective Action: Asian Bridge India
By Vanita Ganesh, Communications Officer
October 31, 2023
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhat does it take to engage men and boys in practicing more gender-affirming attitudes and create lasting change in their lives? How can allyship for men and boys be more proactive? What can meaningful gender justice look like for men and boys?
To achieve true gender justice, systemic levers of change must be activated and those continue to be guarded by power holders and gate-keepers within the community.
Since 2019, with the financial support of Direct Action for Women Now (DAWN), Shadhika has partnered with community-based organizations in rural Uttar Pradesh to engage men and boys in the Men Against Gender-Based Violence Initiative. This initiative focused on practicing gender-affirming attitudes and identifying, reporting, and remedying incidents of gender-based violence and discrimination.
The impact? In 2022 we saw that:
- 80% of men and boys part of the program reported a better understanding of gender-based violence.
- 56% of men and boys reported a positive behavioral and attitudinal change.
- 67% of female family members reported a positive behavioral and attitudinal change.
Earlier this year, alongside the commemoration of Teachers’ Day in India and International Literacy Day, we shared stories of collective action from Asian Bridge India, our partner in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on cultivating allyship for collective action.
Listen to Neeti, Sahil, and Moosa answer your questions on what it takes to engage men and boys in meaningful gender justice work that actually has a long-term impact, what allyship means for the men and boys they work with, and the story of a Change Leader that will surprise you.