In India there are approximately 230 million boys under the age of 18. We estimate that as adults: 

Such gender based violence also sits at the root of key social issues including education, sanitation, sexual and reproductive health, child marriage and trafficking. But, this violence is only the tip of the iceberg; many more men will perpetrate more subtle forms of violence, including financial, emotional and verbal violence. This violence is an emerging epidemic that must be prevented.

We acknowledge that gender equality also has positive outcomes for boys and men, and in our approach we consider boys as allies.

Yet, fewer than 5% of organisations who care about gender-equality run programmes that seek outcomes in boys’ knowledge, skills attitudes and behaviours consistent with gender equality. As long as this gap in practice continues, millions of boys will grow up to perpetrate gender based violence and women and girls, and other genders too, will not realise their rights in health, education and work.

Equal Community Foundation believes therefore that every boy in India should be raised to be gender equitable.

This is an outcome that we describe as Gender Equitable Boys.