Youth Forums Against Gender Based Violence

Gender issues are not a women’s only issue but to be owned by the community at large. It is a historic moment for the women’s movement when young men have begun their long march for women’s rights. The Independent Commission for People’s Rights and Development (ICPRD), a national advocacy federation, initiated this innovative and path-breaking movement, Youth Forums Against Gender Based Violence (YFAGBV), from 2004/2005 in rural Karnataka and Rajasthan through which Young men in the age group of 14-17 and 18-24 from low-income communities are combating violence against women at the household and community level. Through this unique methodology, young men are being transformed into allies and promoters of the rights of women.

The project is on the verge of a breakthrough in the history of women’s empowerment. Many who have tirelessly worked to mainstreaming gender issues will be heartened to note the new role of young men as allies in combating gender violence at the grassroots level; gatekeepers to the future.

The concept was hailed at the Asia-Pacific Regional Micro Credit Summit in 2008 in Bali. It is now growing into larger areas and being able to be replicated in other states/countries as well.

The project is rooted in the notion that so long as women are not able to lead a life of dignity and equality, free of violence, society at large will not be able to attain its full potential. It is, therefore, imperative that men become allies to advocate for the rights of women in their community, combating together with them the inequalities perpetuated.

Youth Forums Against Gender Based Violence (YFAGBV) is an innovative concept challenging normatic and socialized behaviour in a regressive environment wherein potential perpetrators are engaged as allies / partners. Young men/boys were a strategic first choice and intervention as in traditional societies, they are gatekeepers and critical to overcome obstacles that women face. The assumption being that Inter-household inequities and power equations can be somewhat corrected by interventions when potential obstacles to women’s rights are partnered. Investing on them and the entire community for creating an enabling environment for women’s rights is a longer term sustainable solution.

1000 small rural school boys and youth from 100 project villages that belong to scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, muslim minorities and backward castes have reached 70,000 stakeholders from 3 districts in Karnataka – Bellary, Mysore and Channapatna and 2 Districts in Rajasthan – Jaipur and Alwar Districts since 2005.

Project Approach

• Young male advocates have built youth forums mentored by SHGs at local level; interventions were simultaneous in addressing social/economic rights at multi-level i.e. at the individual, household and the enabling environment
• There has been the shift in perceptions of individual youth forums and women’s groups regarding women’s rights, their attitudes towards GBV and perceptions of gender roles.
• At the operational level the approach has been effective as based on scientific research (including FGDs/GES) for measuring gender role attitudes of young men. Capacity was built through TOTs while basic street theatre was used to mobilize the community.
• The project has invested skills in Master Trainers as catalysts and fulcrum of the project. YFAGBVs was the critical mechanism of delivery (mentored by SHGs) in partnership with multi-stakeholders.
• Schools are their allies that they sensitize to their approach.
• Street theater, village corner plays, Yakshagana and folk / peasant songs are critical mechanisms for creating awareness.
• Policy Advocacy is taken up with MPs at the macro level and with local self governing institutions such as Panchayats at the micro-level

Effectiveness of Project Approach

• Boys and young men are developing an increased respect for women’s rights. A pledge has been undertaken not to demand dowry of brides when they marry.
• They are ensuring that their sisters are not discriminated in access to education (often against the family will).
• It has been a tremendous challenge for the project to begin to break stereotypes in rigid, traditional and conservative low income communities, with the dice loaded against women. (within a specific geographic and social environment).
• Youth forums mentored by women’s credit groups are together instrumental in changing power equations in household and community, on behalf of women.

Girls’ Clubs

Witnessing the youth forums functioning in their villages, the girls too expressed a keenness to be a part of the movement. Girls’ Clubs Against GBV were thus formed and through the various training imparted to them under the project, the girls awareness of their rights has been enhanced. They have begun to take up leadership roles in their families, schools and communities. In a family, oftentimes it is seen now that the girl is a member of the girls’ club while the boy is a member of the YFAGBV. This results in a double layered protection against GBV to the girls/women in the family.

This project provides hope that social norms and attitudes of young men can change. And gender sensitized male citizens of the future are possible towards a more gender equitable society. The expansion and deepening of this concept success will spread the message that “combating GBV and gender inequity requires the engagement of the whole community,” towards an empowerment of poor women.

As we watch these young citizens saying that they are different from the rest of the boys and the way they treat girls and women with a new deference in the community, the project outcome is young men inculcating gender equitable values in the community.

We hope each village, each slum in India and Asia has a youth forum against gender based violence that will tilt the power leverage of women in the family.

ICPRD now invites all men and women, to walk with us, to work with us towards our common mission of a gender equitable world.

Successful Case Studies