On the International Women’s Day (March 8), Equal Community Foundation (ECF) will be joining initiatives worldwide to end violence with the launch of its new campaign Man Up India! The campaign helps the general public, and particularly parents, teachers and media professionals, to teach boys and young men to treat women as equals.
On Friday, we will be visiting corporates and restaurants in Pune to make people aware of the campaign, direct them to the website and get as many people as possible to sign a pledge.
The campaign is based on the piece of research conducted by ECF that asked experts in the sector “How can every boy and young man in India be given the opportunity to reflect on and practice gender equitable behaviour?” The results are published in our report “What about the boys? Raising men to end violence against women.” Many different target audiences and methods were identified by participants. However, parents, teachers and media professionals emerged as the key influencers who you must engage with if you are to reach boys nation-wide. These groups have become the focus on the Man Up India! campaign, although it also highlights the role that every citizen must take in becoming part of the solution.
The campaign will be further developed over the next 12 months with the inputs of its users. We will be testing the campaign with focus groups and surveys to ensure we have the right messages and the right resources for the right people. ECF is seeking support from individuals and organisations in terms of donations and partnerships.
What can you do?
- Visit the website, sign a pledge and share it with your friends
- Share your story. We are also calling for common people to tell us how they are raising men to end violence against women. If you have done something, no matter how simple or uncontroversial, to teach boys and adolescents to treat women as equals, we want to hear from you. Go to our Submit Your Story link on the home page, fill out a simple form and we will post it on our website.
- Register with us to make a donation or volunteer with us in the near future
Let’s get ready to be a part of the solution.