Gender-based violence against women is, currently, a serious public health and human rights issue. While effort to address the issue has been largely focused on empowering women and girls; there is a dearth of sustained, long-term serious efforts that address the root cause of issue i.e. changing the male-dominated outlook / male mindset.
Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA) is India’s first voluntary organisation, established by a group of sensitive and concerned men in 1993, working towards women’s safety and dignity, especially towards stopping and preventing gender-based violence against women, by engaging Boys and Men.
For the past 24 years, MAVA has been primarily engaging adolescent boys and young men, in schools and colleges, in healthy conversations around sexual health and preventing violence on women through leadership-driven training.
MAVA started a One-Year Pilot Project called ‘Umang’ in July 2014 to work with adolescent boys of 13 -17 years’ age in 2 disadvantaged communities of Mumbai, on issues of gender and sexuality.
The communities and organisations, with whom MAVA has been collaborating, for the Project are as follows:
1. Shivshakti Nagar and Garib Nagar, Colaba - children from slums, their parents mostly work in fishing, with support from YWCA – Young Women’s Christian Association, a reputed international women’s organisation working closely with the community.
2. Kamathipura, - children of women in prostitution with support from Prerana, organisation working for development of women in prostitution.
The MAVA team (Project Coordinator and Outreach Worker) now would like to work long term with 20 boys from the Shivshakti Nagar Colaba community and 20 boys from disadvantaged community in Mumbra affiliated to organisation Parcham, working on women’s empowerment. MAVA would build capacities of the youths, mentor them and help them reach out to peers and spread message on women’s right to safety and dignity.
Budget of the Program is Rs.12,50,000