Men and Boys rise for Gender Justice in Kirorimal College, Delhi University- a brief report on CHSJ, ME-D and Mittika’s interaction

Social change and social transformation are issues that people from all arenas- media, students, families, corporate and communities- have to be involved with. The youth of the city forms a large mass that will be instrumental in writing the future of our society. Hence, it is imperative to involve the young students in a discourse that promotes gender justice.
 
It is through these sustained interventions- capacity building, mentoring and mobilisations in colleges, that MenEngage Delhi hopes to engage men and boys for gender justice through debunking aggressive masculinities especially within the urban settings.
 
On 23rd of September 2015, CHSJ and MenEngage Delhi in collaboration with Mittika carried forward its first phase of sustained interaction with Kirorimal College beginning with a specially curated forum theater designed by Mittika, a development resource organization. It covered the issues of gender based violence, patriarchy, the question of domination and power.
 
The forum theater raised the question of social construction by depicting a series of short synopsis from popular soaps, advertisements and Bollywood movies like Sholay and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. They also included a segment where the facilitator asks the audience to rate the masculinity and femininity of the characters that are being portrayed in the synopsis. This meter is named as the MARDANGI or AURTANGI meter.
 
The forum theater was interactive, where there were around 100 students from KMC and other colleges who watched the play with great curiosity and excitement. They involved the audience to participate in the play by listening to their queries. There were a series of questions raised by the students on the portrayal of masculinities in the society. For example a student asked, “Kiya asli ladka wohi hai jo is saab baato ko samajta hai aur uspe amal karta ho?” which meant that if someone who is aware of the existing inequalities related to gender justice within the society and works for its change then only he is the symbol of a real man? To this facilitator from Mittika replied that even he is trying to find answers to such questions.
 
The facilitator further welcomed that student to come and participate in the follow up workshop. He went on to explain that the workshop will include a more intense discussion on the topic of ‘masculinities’. After the interactive session, a survey was conducted which was designed by CHSJ. Following up, registration of members was concluded where an action group was created comprising of 10 to 15 students from KMC.

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