ID
S
EVIDENCE REPORT
No 107

Empowerment of Women and Girls

MASVAW Movement Mapping Report:
Movement Mapping and Critical Reflection with
Activists of the Men’s Action to Stop Violence
Against Women (MASVAW) Campaign,
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, August 2014
Thea Shahrokh with Jerker Edström, Mahendra Kumar and Satish Kumar Singh
February 2015

The IDS programme on Strengthening Evidence-based Policy works across seven key themes. Each theme
works with partner institutions to co-construct policy-relevant knowledge and engage in policy-influencing
processes. This material has been developed under the Empowerment of Women and Girls theme.
Input was provided by the Centre for Health and Social Justice (CHSJ) and Men’s Action to Stop Violence
Against Women (MASVAW).
The material has been funded by UK aid from the UK Government, however the views expressed do not
necessarily reflect the UK Government’s official policies.
AG Level 2 Output ID: 113

MASVAW MOVEMENT MAPPING REPORT: MOVEMENT MAPPING AND
CRITICAL REFLECTION WITH ACTIVISTS OF THE MEN’S ACTION TO
STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (MASVAW) CAMPAIGN, VARANASI,
UTTAR PRADESH, AUGUST 2014
Thea Shahrokha with Jerker Edström,a Mahendra Kumarb and Satish Kumar Singhb
a
b

Institute of Development Studies, UK
Centre for Health and Social Justice, India

February 2015
This is an Open Access publication distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are clearly credited.
First published by the Institute of Development Studies in February 2015
© Institute of Development Studies 2015
IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338).

Contents
Acknowledgements
Partner information
Abbreviations

2
3
4

1

Introduction: Men against gendered violence
1.1
Gendered inequalities and violence in Uttar Pradesh

5
5

2

Background to the movement mapping process
2.1
MASVAW: a political movement addressing violence against women
2.2
Mobilising men for institutional change
2.3
Objectives
2.4
Workshop approach

7
7
8
8
9

3

Findings
3.1
Taking action against gender-based violence: personal journeys
3.2
Gender inequality and gender-based violence
3.2.1 Defining the issue of gender-based violence
3.2.2 Root causes of gendered inequality and violence
3.2.3 Effects and longer term impacts of gender inequality
3.3
Strategies for action across levels and settings
3.3.1 Universities and schools
3.3.2 The Panchayat
3.3.3 The media
3.3.4 Young men and community settings
3.4
Developing the research framing

11
11
13
13
14
15
15
16
17
18
19
20

4

Conclusion

22

Annex 1

List of participants

23

References

24

1

Acknowledgements
This report was drafted by Thea Shahrokh, with the support of Jerker Edström, Mahendra
Kumar and Satish Kumar Singh. Mahendra Kumar of the Centre for Health and Social
Justice (CHSJ) and Sanjay Singh of Men’s Action to Stop Violence Against Women
(MASVAW) provided essential support in organising the workshop and mobilising the
effective participation of MASVAW activists, all of whom we would also like to acknowledge
for their invaluable inputs and analysis. We would also like to thank Abhijit Das and other
staff at CHSJ for supporting us tirelessly, as well as Deepta Chopra and Jas Vaghadia for
their helpful support at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). Finally, our thanks also go
to the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for supporting this process
through IDS’ Accountable Grant.
Cover photo: Interpretation of river of life activity in a workshop exercise exploring the
personal journeys of MASVAW activists. Photographer: © Jerker Edström.
Suggested citation: Shahrokh, T. with Edström, J.; Kumar, M. and Singh, S.K. (2015)
MASVAW Movement Mapping Report: Movement Mapping and Critical Reflection with
Activists of the Men’s Action to Stop Violence Against Women (MASVAW) Campaign,
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, August 2014, Evidence Report 107, Brighton: IDS

2

Partner information
Centre for Health and Social Justice, India
The Centre for Health and Social Justice (CHSJ) is a civil society institution working on
issues related to health and social justice. CHSJ seeks to strengthen accountability of public
health systems and health governance through research, resource support and advocacy. It
is a registered charitable trust and has its headquarters in New Delhi. CHSJ works as a
resource organisation on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights as well as Gender and
Masculinities for enhancing insights and skills among policymakers, practitioners and civil
society organisations to take leadership in a process of change that will ensure greater social
justice.

Institute of Development Studies
The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) is well known for its progressive gender research,
knowledge sharing and teaching, and for the central role it has played in the conceptual shift
from a ‘women in development’ to a ‘gender and development’ focus, as well as for critically
bringing sexuality and masculinities into gender theory, research and practice. Originating in
feminist thought and practice and seeing the personal as political, the work of IDS and of the
Gender and Sexuality Cluster is supported by robust yet innovative participatory, reflexive
methodologies and approaches to citizenship and power which engage in a range of local
and global actors from research, policy and civil society in diverse contexts. IDS engages
progressive stakeholders and partners across movements, disciplines and domains in the
generation of high-quality, ground-breaking research and knowledge that challenges gender
and sexuality ‘myths’ and stereotypes, and contributes to transformative policy, practice and
activism.

3

Abbreviations
CERT
CHSJ
DFID
GBV
IDS
MASVAW
NCC
NGO
NSS
NYK
SPEED
YMD
UNFPA

Centre for Environment and Rural Technology
Centre for Health and Social Justice
Department for International Development
gender-based violence
Institute of Development Studies
Men’s Action to Stop Violence Against Women
National Cadet Corps
non-governmental organisation
National Service Scheme
Nehry Yuva Kendra, a volunteer movement set up by central government
Society for Promotion of Educational and Environmental Development
Yuvak Mangal Dal, a youth organisation in Uttar Pradesh
United Nations Population Fund

4

1

Introduction: Men against gendered
violence

Gender-based violence (GBV) is an extreme manifestation of patriarchal power inequalities,
used by men and women to exert control and power over others to assert and reproduce
gendered norms, power relations and expectations. Gender-based violence is predominantly
understood as a harmful expression of masculinity and is constructed in relation to ideals of
‘being a man’ within a particular societal context; these norms are upheld and reinforced by
men and women alike, whilst they are predicated on fundamental ideologies of male
supremacy and disproportionally privilege men as a group over women (Connell 2011;
Hunnicutt 2009).
Engaging men and boys in addressing gender-based violence has grown in attention over
the past 20 years. However, the emerging field predominantly focuses on the issues as a
problem of individuals, neglecting the role of the institutions and policies that shape norms of
gender inequality and perpetuate violent power asymmetries between men and women in
people’s everyday lives (Cornwall, Edström and Grieg 2011). Men’s engagement in
addressing GBV has therefore tended to be relatively depoliticised, focusing predominantly
on individuals’ attitude and behaviour change, and less on accountability of the structures
that uphold patriarchal power relations and male supremacy, such as macroeconomic
policies and the governance cultures of many formal and informal institutions.
This movement mapping report thus introduces a collaborative research project between
the Centre for Health and Social Justice (CHSJ), India, their local activist partners in the
Men’s Action to Stop Violence Against Women (MASVAW) campaign and the Institute of
Development Studies (IDS) to explore the effectiveness of men’s collective action in
addressing GBV. CHSJ is working across India on the issue of mobilising men to transform
discriminatory norms into those based on equity, equality and gender justice to ensure the
fundamental human rights of all people. The research is premised on the notion that
challenging patriarchy and working towards gender equality must include working with men
and boys to understand their privileges as well as the co-option, coercion and subjugation
that they also face within a patriarchal system. In turn, we aim to improve understanding and
knowledge of the changing roles of men in addressing GBV and how and why collective
action holds possibilities as an effective strategy to support this in the Indian context. This
research is exploring the actors, strategies, challenges, collaborations and pathways for
future engagement of the MASVAW campaign that works across the state of Uttar Pradesh.

1.1

Gendered inequalities and violence in Uttar Pradesh

Women in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in India face extreme marginalisation and
discrimination. Caught in a feudal–patriarchal system, women and girls are subject to ritual
segregation known as ‘purdah’, and their bodies are often the battle grounds for many
‘wars’ –between castes, communities and clans – for example, over inadequate dowry
settlements, or even in the matter of population control. Uttar Pradesh is ranked second
among Indian States (after Andhra Pradesh) in the number of ‘crimes against women’; this
definition includes rape, abduction, dowry-related deaths, mental and physical torture and
sexual harassment (Government of Uttar Pradesh 2006: 130). The majority of such crimes
against women are committed by family members. Survey research in Uttar Pradesh shows
that 42 per cent of ever married women have experienced violence from their partners (IIPS
and Macro International 2007).

5

This gendered violence and inequality permeates the systems and structures that govern
everyday life. For example, only 2.6 per cent of women in Uttar Pradesh (both rural and
urban) own property in their own name (Agarwal 2006). Furthermore, the violent nature of
politics within the state has created an environment of fear and mistrust of the political
sphere, intensifying the marginalisation of women from politics. Furthermore, the social
control of women in Uttar Pradesh has meant exclusion from the right to vote on the grounds
of purdah; this has been shown to affect women and girls across whole communities
(Tripathi 2009). There are also concerns that constitutional reservations for women in
Panchayats1 has not reduced their risk of violence, with women participating through subreservations for lower castes experiencing high levels of violence, including from within their
own caste (UN Women 2014). Men and women across India face deeply entrenched
violence in relation to the formalisation of discrimination through the caste system.
During the past 10–15 years, the issue of gender equality has been raised very fervently in
India, and there has been some progress: women’s literacy rates increased by 20 per cent
between 1991 and 2001 (Government of Uttar Pradesh 2006). Furthermore, in 2007, policy
revisions aimed at increasing access to school for children in more isolated rural areas were
undertaken. The same positive changes, however, cannot be seen in relation to control over
property, mobility or sexuality. There is also increasing fear among men about decreasing
opportunities and resources as a result of women’s empowerment. There are anxieties
among some men about their decreasing control over women, losing their leadership
positions, and being left behind by gender equality deemed as harmful for their interests.
This is reflected in the evolution of men’s rights organisations which hold an explicitly antifeminist agenda in Lucknow and across India (Chowdhury 2014).

1

Panchayat Raj is the term for a local government unit of elected community members and is a formal body of self-governance.
The body is elected for five years. In the Panchayat Raj there are three institutional levels: (1) District Panchayat, (2) Block
Panchayat and (3) Village Panchayat. At all three levels members are elected directly by voters (members of Gram Sabha). At
District and Block Panchayat levels the Head is nominated by elected members; at village level the Head of Village and ward
members are both elected directly by the voter.
6

2

Background to the movement mapping
process

The role of men and boys in ending gender inequality and gender-based violence has
become increasingly visible in strategies for violence prevention over the past 20 years.
However, this trend has predominantly emphasised attitude and behaviour change in
individual men and boys alone. Analysis of and engagement with the structural drivers of this
violence has been largely absent, as has critical reform of the social, economic and political
institutions that maintain this violence, disempowering men and women in the process
(Dworkin et al. 2011).
Thus, the focus of this movement mapping workshop was to explore these issues through
the lens of the MASVAW campaign, and to draw out the actors, strategies and challenges
involved. The movement mapping workshop took place in August 2014, in the city of
Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India. The process was held over five days and brought together
15 activists from the MASVAW collective.
Our starting point for the workshop evolved from an analysis of two campaigns working to
engage men in addressing gender-based violence in Uttar Pradesh: MASVAW as a broad
networked evolving campaign and a specific initiative on mobilising men in institutional
settings, which included many members of MASVAW.

2.1

MASVAW: a political movement addressing violence against
women

Feminist organising and movement building has enabled processes of social change that
advocate rights and accountability in ending gender inequality globally. As a state-wide
campaign that works at multiple levels to raise awareness, transform gender norms and
challenge institutions that uphold inequality, MASVAW is a political project and movement.
MASVAW is grounded in feminist principles and aims to critically challenge dominant and
oppressive patriarchal norms.
The MASVAW campaign grew out of a dialogue between men and women engaged in
addressing women’s health rights in Uttar Pradesh, ‘the conscience of a shared responsibility
for dealing with and possibly eliminating [violence against women]... stirred into action a
movement’ (MASVAW 2012). Founding members were associated with SAHAYOG, a nonprofit organisation working on these issues. As such, from the outset, MASVAW held
significant value to their allies in the women’s movement that supported the development of
the approach to engaging men in ending gender-based violence – both as direct contributors
and as critical friends (Das and Singh 2014). MASVAW also holds that it is the responsibility
of both men and women to ensure a society free of gendered violence. Gender is not used
as a single dimension of analysis but as it intersects with class, gender, age, caste,
education, and the distribution of power in relation to experiences of equality and rights.
MASVAW’s work emphasises the importance of men’s self-reflection and how their actions
produce and reproduce inequalities that are harmful to both men and women (MASVAW
2012) and has spread to schools and universities, villages and urban communities.
MASVAW groups are active in 40 districts of Uttar Pradesh and three districts in the
neighbouring state of Uttaranchal.

7

2.2

Mobilising men for institutional change

The initiative Mobilising Men to Challenge Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Institutional
Settings (‘Mobilising Men’, for short) asks the question: What can men do to work with
women in challenging the institutionalised nature of gender and sexual violence?2 It is an
approach towards addressing gender inequality and violence through working with men in
power to create change-makers in institutional settings. Whilst also involving partners in
Kenya, Uganda and the United Kingdom, the Mobilising Men programme in India has been
led by CHSJ and activities have focused on three main sectors: (1) university campuses,
where gender and sexual violence is known to be widespread; (2) local government, which
plays a key role in the enforcement, or lack thereof, of the Domestic Violence Act; and (3)
human rights work with dalit communities, which up until now has failed to adequately
address the gendered nature of violence against them (Greig and Edström 2012). In Uttar
Pradesh this campaign predominantly focused on institutions of higher education, including
those universities where MASVAW is present as a campaign, and in Panchayat settings.

2.3

Objectives

Through this research process we hope to understand more about how and why working with
men and boys at multiple levels and within institutional settings is relevant and appropriate
for the campaign’s objectives. Across this activist network we aim to understand more about
the political nature of the movement, and how the changing of power relations for gender
justice – moving beyond dominant patriarchal roles and responsibilities – is addressed.
The aim of this movement mapping workshop was thus to explore with MASVAW activists:
the ideas, attitudes and motivations driving their involvement in addressing gender equality
and violence; their understanding of the issue as it plays out in the context of Uttar Pradesh;
and their approach to addressing gender-based violence as a networked collective. We hope
that this mapping process will improve the quality of relevant information available on such
movements, as well as make this information more accessible to relevant stakeholders.
Sharing the outcomes of this process will allow the learning to be taken back into practice by
MASVAW activists themselves and others undertaking related or similar initiatives.
The reflection and analysis work undertaken in the workshop has contributed to and informed
the framing of an in-depth case study on the roles of men in movements addressing genderbased violence through collective action. The movement mapping workshop informed and
grounded the development of key questions for exploration in case study research on the
issue. Significantly, the movement mapping process enabled the identification of the key
partners, allies and gatekeepers that inform and influence MASVAW’s activism and whom
would be engaged in the continued research learning process.

2

Mobilising Men is a programme to better understand what it takes to confront GBV in institutional settings by engaging men as
gender activists within the institutions to which they belong. Since early 2010, IDS – with support from the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) – has partnered with civil society organisations in India, Kenya and Uganda to develop the
programme.

8

MASVAW activists deliberating on strategies for change with Panchayat institutions
to end gender-based violence. Photographer: © Mahendra Kumar.

2.4

Workshop approach

The movement mapping workshop was an open and participatory process that worked
through interactive methods to create a safe and inclusive space for engagement. The
workshop also took a reflexive approach to learning in order to enable participants to critically
examine both their own and others’ perspectives and actions in order to increase their
understanding of why they do what they do and how.
Workshop participants were MASVAW activists recruited from diverse ages, castes, roles
and geographical settings from across Uttar Pradesh, all of whom are currently engaged in
addressing gender-based violence within the broader motivation of achieving greater gender
equality (see Annex 1 for a list of workshop participants). Among the activists involved were
a sub-group from university and Panchayat settings involved in the Mobilising Men initiative,
and founding members of the MASVAW campaign.
The facilitation and documentation of the workshop was a collaborative effort between CHSJ
and IDS researchers who would be involved in the research programme throughout: the
team was made up of three men and one woman. The workshop was documented through
computer-based transcription and participants’ own self-documentation from small group
exercises. Translation was provided between Hindi and English by CHSJ and MASVAW
participants for IDS researchers.
The movement mapping workshop moved through four key phases over three days.




Personal journeys: These were developed through drawings and sharing with the
group, using a ‘river of life’ approach to understand the activists’ trajectories, their
own personal narratives and to explore their individual agency, attitudes and
motivations for taking action. The central question each participant agreed to explore
was ‘What was my journey through life to end up working against GBV?’
Analysis of the issue of gender-based violence, in small groups: A ‘problem tree’
analysis enabled learning on the issue of gender-based violence. The trunk of the
tree aided in the unpacking of ‘the issue’, the roots were the causes of violence, and
the branches as the effects, or outcomes, of this violence.
9

MASVAW activists clustering research questions to provide a focus for
the continued case study inquiry. Photographer: © Jerker Edström.

The second phase of the workshop saw a conceptual shift from individuals’ activism to a
focus on collectivity and the wider social, economic and political context within which their
activism takes place.




Strategies of engagement and stakeholders in collective action: Examples of
MASVAW’s activism at the collective level were given and their dynamics within a
process of change with diverse stakeholders, including the power relations at play,
were explored.
Developing the research focus: The MASVAW activists explored what learning
objectives and research questions flow from this reflection and analysis. These
research questions would provide the focus for the case study of effectiveness.

10

3

Findings

3.1

Taking action against gender-based violence: personal
journeys

The exploration of personal journeys was important in order to understand how and why
participants have become involved in advocating men’s engagement in tackling genderbased violence. These personal stories provided important insights into the pathways of men
as activists for gender equality, as well as lessons relevant to the journeys of others.
Participants were asked to map their own story over time, going back as far as they would
like. The concept of a ‘river of life’ was introduced to participants and they were all given art
materials for creative expression. IDS and CHSJ research facilitators shared their personal
stories to build trust and relationships with the group.

A MASVAW activist’s expression of how his journey through life has led him
to take action against GBV. Photographer: © Jerker Edström.

MASVAW activists have often experienced gendered forms of violence in their own lives.
This violence is articulated as harassment; physical, sexual and psychological violence; and
also as inequalities between men and women such as access to education and economic
opportunity. Activists reflected these concerns through personal experiences such as in the
division of labour in household tasks, and girl children not being able to play outside or go to
school. These were articulated as social expectations that prescribe restrictive forms of
femininity and masculinity, and see the role of men above women in the family and in the
community. Activists explained how this inequality is deeply internalised in men and women,
and reinforced through everyday public acts such as women sitting at the back on public
transport, or walking behind their husbands on the street. Discrimination and harassment
was also experienced in public institutions such as the Panchayat and academic settings,
which acted as an effective mechanism to prevent women from entering these spaces. For
many, a deep rejection of this violence was articulated at a young age.
Meeting other people and MASVAW activists who share this perspective created spaces for
discussion and reflection. MASVAW activists often cited mentors that helped them to build an
understanding of the possibilities of alternative masculinities. This process of reflection and
learning on the issue of gender equality with other men and women, including their partners,
helped them to identify a shared ideology centred on social justice and gender equality that
11

recognises the constraints posed by patriarchal power imbalances. Their critique of
patriarchy highlighted men’s control over women, but also of men over men who are deemed
subordinate, such as within the caste-based system embedded in the Indian social context.
For some, this personal and public commitment to gender equality led to exclusion and
isolation from their own families and social networks. The community found in the MASVAW
network therefore provides an opportunity to hold relationships with people that share a
vision for gender justice and that take action towards equity in their everyday lives. Activists
spoke of how their actions towards gender equality within their own families and communities
both reinforce the possibilities of the positive change they are trying to achieve and challenge
them to hold wider social actors to account for the inequalities that exist in their contexts.
Activists highlighted how their role in MASVAW transcends their personal, political and
professional lives and how their journey towards gender equality is actively engaged in the
diverse roles they play in the home and the community – as teachers, students and staff
within non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and as Panchayat leaders and members of
the community. Activists spoke of how they are taking action to promote gender equitable
policies within the institutions and organisations within which they work, for example in the
establishment of sexual harassment committees.
Activists spoke of continued reflection and learning on the issue of gender-based violence,
and the politics of gender equality. They spoke of the importance of analysing contradictions
such as the continuation of forced marriage where there has been a commitment to end
violence, or the power held by men over wives who have taken public roles in the Panchayat.
They explained how training and learning forums on the issues of gender, power, rights and
equality are important for supporting this process, and deepening their engagement on the
issues of gender equality and patriarchal privilege, as well as to support consciousnessraising with men outside of MASVAW.
See further reflections from MASVAW activists shared through film-based presentations at:
http://interactions.eldis.org/masvaw-activist-testimonies.

A MASVAW participant with CHSJ and IDS researchers capturing his personal
journey of activism through a video interview. Photographer: © Jerker Edström.

12

3.2

Gender inequality and gender-based violence

What is the central problem that MASVAW activists are trying to address? How does this
influence their strategies for collective action? In order to ground the movement mapping
process in the contextual reality of gender-based violence as understood by the MASVAW
activists, the participants undertook a problem tree analysis of the issue. The trunk of the tree
represented the central issue of gender-based violence that MASVAW activists are trying to
change; the tree’s roots symbolised the causes of the problem, both immediate and long
term; and the branches represented the effects of the issue of gender-based violence at
multiple social levels.

3.2.1 Defining the issue of gender-based violence
The trunk of the tree presented a male-dominated system that constructs and reinforces
gender inequality and drives and maintains discrimination through patriarchal power and
control. Control over sexual and reproductive health was highlighted as a specific example.
Women’s sexuality is policed by men and older women (such as mothers-in-law): women are
not expected to express sexual desire as this reflects a bad character; the issue of when to
have children and how many, and the right to choose to terminate a pregnancy is in the
control of male partners; and for marriage, traditional practices maintain that a woman should
be younger than the man – a belief that relates to perceived entitlement over women’s
sexuality, which is socially only acceptable within marriage. It was highlighted that this norm
is upheld by the state in that marriage for girls is legal at 18 years and for men at 21 years of
age. The issues of child and forced marriage were also highlighted as being in the control of
the men and women within the immediate and Hindu joint family, thus restricting young
women’s rights and freedoms.
The central issue was therefore seen as gender injustice; it is this injustice that leads to
violence. This can affect different women in different ways, for example amplifying economic
inequality and/or impeding participation in political life. For MASVAW, the issue of ‘stopping
violence against women’ is not about ‘protecting women from violence’ in a paternalistic
sense but changing a discriminatory system that constructs norms of inequality in order to
maintain the privilege of some men and that in turn violence, repression and control flow
from. It was also highlighted that in looking at gender-based violence and discrimination,
class and caste hierarchies also need to be recognised within the same patriarchal system
as gendered power inequalities.

A problem tree reflecting the issue of gender-based violence in
Uttar Pradesh. Photographer: © Jerker Edström.

13

3.2.2 Root causes of gendered inequality and violence
The root causes of gender inequality and violence were articulated in relation to social norms
and institutions – the family, religion (including the caste system), politics – that maintain and
uphold the patriarchal gender order. The legitimisation of violence as a means of policing this
gender order and maintaining the interests of men was of significant concern.

MASVAW activists working on their problem tree to
analyse gender-based violence in Uttar Pradesh.
Photographer: © Mahendra Kumar.

The social and religious institution of marriage was described as an important site of
performance for reinforcing the norms of the gender order. It was expressed that in
conservative marriages the husband’s identity relates to that of a punitive God; if the
husband is kept happy then he will protect his wife and if he is unhappy then he holds the
power to destroy her. Furthermore, a marriage agreement for women is strictly enforced until
death. The maternal family are invested in the woman staying within the husband’s family
system, including in cases of abuse as they are committed to maintaining the social norm
and her return would discredit the family. The message ‘live long life of your husband’ is
passed on to women at the marriage ceremony, establishing that the man’s health and
wellbeing should be prioritised. This norm is reflected in the treatment of widows who are
often excluded from religious ceremonies and may also be rejected by their own families.
Widows with no social support are pushed into marginalisation and examples were given of
‘widows’ centres’ which facilitate sex work as a survival strategy.
Participants explained that in the rural Hindu joint family the gender order tasks men with
maintaining the safety and honour of the women, devolving full control, economic
responsibility and decision-making power to male household heads. Participants highlighted
that stress combined with expectations of masculinity can impact negatively on the wellbeing
of men; an example was given where the pressure of being the household head was too
much and resulted in one man’s suicide. Space for discussion and communication between
partners is lacking, and it was argued that space for discussing and debating between men
and women in wider social and public forums is extremely restricted.

14

A complicated and ineffective legal system was also highlighted as a disincentive for women
to access the justice system in response to violence. Delays and discouragement from within
the system often prevent cases from being taken forward. For those perpetrating violence the
lack of response means that there is no redress and violence may continue, and even
increase in order to punish the attempt to seek justice. In Uttar Pradesh the legal and judicial
system is perceived as being heavily male dominated and therefore in the favour of men.
Furthermore, it was highlighted that the traditional caste-based Panchayat at the village level
has decision-making power on social issues. This means that issues of sexual violence do
not often leave the community in order to save the prestige or honour of the caste and the
community.

3.2.3 Effects and longer term impacts of gender inequality
The effects of gender inequality and violence were seen from individual through to societal
levels. The opportunities for women’s and girls’ own development is severely restricted,
including in terms of education and economic opportunity. The restrictions placed on mobility
of women, for example, mean that women are not able to take work outside of the home. The
continuation of gender-based violence – physical, sexual and psychological – was seen as
an outcome of impunity for perpetrators of violence. An extreme effect of gender inequality is
its manifestation as sex selection of children through sex-selective abortions. Over the life
course these different forms of violence were seen to have significant health implications,
including malnutrition and mental health issues for women and children. At the population
level this also relates to a declining proportion of women in the sex ratio.

3.3

Strategies for action across levels and settings

MASVAW is a state-wide campaign committed to working on gender issues and ending
violence against women. Campaign activities range from education and awareness raising to
reacting and responding to cases of violence, ‘agitating’ to help secure a fair and just
response for survivors. MASVAW also works across institutional settings to transform gender
relations. The next component of the movement mapping process asked MASVAW activists
to share: (i) what they are aiming to achieve in their work, (ii) how they are doing this, and (iii)
how they are learning about the impact of what they do. Through this discussion we aimed to
identify opportunities for further inquiry into promising and innovative practices and to identify
gaps in evidence or understanding.
Alliance building is an integral strategy in MASVAW’s campaigning and motivation: the
building of partnerships at multiple social levels and with diverse institutions, including the
police and the media, for example. Although the campaign strategies cut across actors that
MASVAW engage, and their corresponding domains, specific stakeholders were identified in
order to relate strategies to particular focus areas. MASVAW participants at the workshop
clustered the actors and institutional domains that they were able to draw experience from
and these were all addressed in the mapping process. These were:





Universities and schools (teachers, staff and students in educational settings)
Panchayat (representatives in local government)
The media (journalists in local and State print and electronic news media)
Young men in community settings (local boys, both in and out of school).

15

View of the city of Varanasi where the movement mapping
workshop took place. Photographer: © Thea Shahrokh.

3.3.1 Universities and schools
What we want to achieve: MASVAW is working within universities to make visible and
address the gender-based violence that is occurring across the system. The aim is to work at
multiple levels to raise awareness and to build institutional commitment to policy change.
How we do it: The mobilisation of youth in educational settings aims to build their energy
around the issue of addressing gender inequality. Motivated and mobilised young men then
take these ideas to their peers, families and communities, thus catalysing change in a wider
social context. Being the constant population within any academic institution, staff have also
been mobilised into the MASVAW campaign; staff members can be effective role models for
the students they interact with. University and school staff are also working to gain support
from the senior leadership for institutional policy change around issues of gender inequality
and harassment.

Strategies






Sensitisation of students and teachers
Mobilising university authorities to take action against gender-based violence and to act on
cases of sexual harassment
Organising gender-awareness training workshops with students and teachers
Issues of gender, patriarchy and masculinity introduced in the curriculum
Masters-level dissertations and doctoral-level research on gender issues.

16

Stakeholders

Rationale

Students

To bring about students’ understanding of concepts of
hegemonic masculinities (aggressive, dominant, harmful) and
their effect on men and women students.

National Cadet Corps
(NCC)/NSS/Scouts

Groups of young men, mainly students involved in activism, and
in wider community and social activities. Concerns were raised
over the militarisation process of the NCC in terms of their
relationship with the army.

Teachers and teachers groups

In relation to their decision-making power within the institution
and their influence on students. Also in terms of women
teachers’ own experiences of harassment and gender inequality
within the workplace.

Senior managers including
Principal and Vice Chancellor

An entry point and also a legal contact point.

Anti-sexual harassment
committee

An important site of accountability on issues of gender-based
violence within the institution. MASVAW has also advised
others to establish these committees.

School management
committee for government
school

Responsibility for management. They are in the position to
monitor policies, and to ensure they are being implemented.
Includes parents, Panchayat leaders, teachers and health-care
professionals; reservation for 50 per cent women’s participation.

Management committee in
public schools

Involved in the recruitment of teachers. This would be private
management of a grant.

3.3.2 The Panchayat
What we want to achieve: The Panchayat system is constructed on patriarchal principles.
MASVAW is acting to engage representatives in creating more gender equitable institutions.
They work to challenge the attitudes of male representatives who bypass elected women and
refer instead to their husbands or male family members. They want to see male Panchayat
representatives engaging directly with the women and supporting them to have influence in
the political space. A greater commitment to gender equality within the Panchayat will in turn
support women in the community to raise political voice and listen to women’s perspectives.
How we do it: Training and sensitisation workshops with government officials to support
critical awareness of their own relationship with women, and the role that they play as men,
and as leaders in maintaining discriminatory social norms. Training and support is also
needed for men and women representatives on gender and sexual violence, and their role in
addressing the issue. This sensitisation work is also needed with regard to the husbands of
women representatives who try to control the actions of their wives in their political positions.
Raising the critical consciousness of men and women within the community on the rights of
women, including to political participation, is needed to ensure that women have the
opportunity to come forward and be effective as political representatives. This can be
supported through alliance building with women’s organisations.
Strategies








Sensitisation of male leaders
Running a community-level campaign to gain support for women leaders
Using street theatre (nukkad natak) to raise awareness of women’s rights to political
participation and gender-based violence
Running training workshops within the community on women’s rights and political participation
Training government representatives on gender equality and addressing gender-based violence
Building alliances with women’s organisations
Promoting women’s committees within the Panchayat.
17

Stakeholders

Rationale

Elected people within the
Panchayat; ward members

Community representatives with influence on decision-making
on issues of gender equality in the community.

Husbands of women
representatives

Act as gatekeepers for women’s engagement.

Community members

Create an enabling environment for women’s engagement in
politics.

Women’s organisations

Alliance building for addressing gender-based violence and
promoting women’s rights.

Different committees within
the Panchayat: these are not
elected members

Education, women’s volunteer committees and grain distribution
committees are all influenced by the Panchayat.

Government functionaries at
the local level which are
connected to the Panchayat

Support the further dissemination of the message.

Federation of the head of the
Panchayat

Support from leadership.

How we know if it is working: The most significant indicator of change is women
representative’s perspectives on the change experienced in their political position. Women’s
increased participation is also a measure, but this needs to be understood more qualitatively
to go beyond counting quota seats provided by government, to the quality of participation
and the diversity of men and women taking up political positions. A further qualitative change
would be the way in which violence against women is being addressed, and the institutional
structures established to support this. In terms of measuring impact, participants also
highlighted the importance of capturing negative backlash as well, for example aggressive
responses in community meetings, which may show that the issue has been made visible,
and potentially that it is gaining traction.

3.3.3 The media
What we want to achieve: The media needs to be more accountable for gender equality.
There is a role for the media in challenging existing discriminatory gender norms as they
have an important role to play in reinforcing and/or reconstructing dominant ideas.
The media are powerful actors and have co-opted messaging that MASVAW has released in
order to meet their own interests in sensational reporting; for example, a press conference on
‘engaging men to address violence against women’ was translated into the headline ‘Men
also Facing Violence’. Activists perceive the media to be reporting on sensational topics but
in order to raise the issue of justice there needs to be buy-in from senior officials.
How we do it: MASVAW works with the media to disseminate case studies of role models,
and examples of access to justice in order to challenge discriminatory attitudes towards
gender equality. These need to be spread out in the community, in order to change social
norms through success stories.
The direct participation of the media is important within MASVAW and other social justice
campaigns. Awareness and sensitisation workshops can help raise critical consciousness
with regard to gender equality. Training on, and capacity building for, working on issues of
gender-based violence in their role as journalists and reporters are also important: meeting
and planning with them, liaising and increasing their partnership in working with the
campaign and related strategies will be important for sustaining their engagement.

18

Strategies






Sensitisation of the media on gender equality and discrimination
Engage with ‘champions’ within the media to build strong and committed relationships for
working on these issues
Build relationships with senior media officials who have the power to support journalists to
engage with the campaign
Monitor the media to see how they are reporting on key gender issues to identify for allies and
opponents
Work with the media in partnership to develop press messaging for campaigns.

Stakeholders

Rationale

All media

Engaging with the media is integral not only as a tool for
disseminating knowledge, but also as agents of change within
the MASVAW campaign.

Artists within the folk media;
local reporters of the print
media

Engaging with diverse forms of media is important to reach
outlets that have different audiences, and have social and
cultural relevance across different settings.

District information officer

Brings the linkages from the regional stakeholders and the
government officers.

Newspaper bureau chiefs

It is important to work at every level within media institutions.
Positions of leadership are important to ensure support for
journalists’ engagement in MASVAW.

Federation of Rural Reporters
for the print media at the state
level

An important actor for engaging journalists nationally in
capacity-building workshops, and for gaining state-level
agreement that the workshops can be run.

How we know if it is working: An increase in media involvement in campaigns and
MASVAW activism is a sign of success. Media people are themselves following up on cases
and trying to make a difference on the issue. The number of cases of gender-based violence
reported increases and these reports are made from a gender equality perspective. Success
stories reported in key media outlets, and the monitoring of a change in engagement with the
campaign. If a case is not reported in the media, this could cause embarrassment for the
media people involved.

3.3.4 Young men in community settings
What we want to achieve: Mobilisation with those men and boys that hold gender equitable
attitudes and do not discriminate in terms of class and caste in order to work with institutions
within the community such as the Panchayat on issues of gender-based violence and
equality.
How we do it: One approach is to work with boys and men within schools and academic
institutions that hold a shared ideology against violence and gender inequality. These young
men then undertake training so they are able to build their own ‘supporter groups’ within their
communities, schools and colleges. These groups are then supported by the MASVAW
coordinators to run small sessions and develop projects and initiatives themselves.

19

Strategies




Awareness raising with in- and out-of-school youth on issues of gender equality and genderbased violence
Mobilisation of interested young men into the MASVAW campaign with ongoing training and
capacity building on issues of gender equality and violence
Newly mobilised activists engage with others in their community, accessing diverse social
groups.

Stakeholders

Rationale

Family

To ensure that men’s engagement is seen in relationship to the
other men and women in their lives and that they are engaged
in the process of change.

Community leaders

Can provide support and the space to influence other people at
political and non-political levels.

Nehry Yuva Kendra/Yuvak
Mangal Dal (NYK/YMD)

National youth body.

Khrisi mitron (Former Friends)

Older farmers that can influence more farmers in the
community.

Service providers in the
community

Representatives of institutions that can reproduce gender
inequalities in the community, and also have unique access to
men in safe spaces and settings.

How we know if it is working: Change can be assessed where schools and colleges are
providing space and time for sensitisation and training activities. Research will help assess
the reduction of violent behaviour by the men reached by the campaign. It is also important
to measure not just the number of youth involved in the training workshops, but also whether,
why and how they are working with others in their communities to engage them in the
campaign.

MASVAW activists analysing the campaign’s strategies for action
on gender-based violence. Photographer: © Mahendra Kumar.

3.4

Developing the research framing

The final component of this movement mapping workshop asked MASVAW activists to
identify key questions pertinent to deepen understanding of the campaign’s effectiveness.
This initial mapping of proposals for further inquiry grounds the ongoing research study as a
20

relevant and appropriate learning process for the MASVAW campaign. The process of
generating the questions was itself a useful reflective exercise for MASVAW activists as even
though not all of them can be explored within the scope of the study, the questions can be
used internally to help develop future practice. The questions generated have been clustered
under themes to provide guidance towards the development of the overarching research
framing.

Mobilising men to engage as activists




How are case studies of role models effective for influencing change?
How are these case studies best disseminated? (Should it be done differently for
mobilising activists, for changing attitudes of gatekeepers/duty-bearers and for in the
wider public/ordinary citizens?)
How can we understand the motivations and catalysts for individuals taking
action/becoming engaged?

Seeing women’s side of the issues





How do women and other interest groups/stakeholders understand and perceive
processes to engage men towards gender equality and in addressing issues around
gender-based discrimination and violence?
How can the approaches and perspectives of women’s organisations and men’s
organisations come together for change on the issue of gender-based violence?
What does the survivor think about strategies for ending gender-based violence?
What do women’s representatives (Panchayat) think about the role of men in
supporting women? How can men know that women’s representation is being
achieved? How do men understand women’s representation?

Undressing the issue of patriarchy




How do men’s groups work with other men to understand patriarchal norms? How do
they identify these norms? And how can patriarchal norms be challenged?
How can men’s groups identify potential stakeholders and understand their most
relevant roles?
How do we better understand the challenges and benefits of change in social norms
(towards equality) for men?

Questions of strategy for MASVAW








How is learning from MASVAW’s work being incorporated into their evolving
strategies?
Why is a particular strategy important, based on understanding the potential
‘impact’/transformative potential, in the local context?
How can contextually relevant strategies be identified on the basis of different
potentials for impact or transformation?
How does MASVAW go beyond ‘working with’ women’s groups towards truly
understanding their analysis, objectives and aims?
In the sensitisation of youth, the Panchayat and the media to gender equality, how do
particular tools and sensitisation strategies with men work and why?
How do men’s leaders in MASVAW analyse psycho-social dynamics between men
and women and why is it important?
Can lessons from MASVAW help develop a socialisation framework by which we
achieve equality in society?

21

4

Conclusion

MASVAW’s vision for social change has evolved from work that started with activism to stop
violence against women towards a more structural perspective on gender inequality and
violence within a patriarchal system. This shift provides an important grounding for the case
study of effectiveness, and an entry point for understanding MASVAW’s and other
stakeholders’ shifting perspectives and analysis of patriarchy as a contextual reality and
driver of gender injustice, and importantly how it translates in their current work.
Against this backdrop and in reflection of the knowledge and insights generated through this
movement mapping process, the following questions provide a useful starting point for
framing the case study of effectiveness. This case study will provide a deeper analysis of the
practice of the MASVAW campaign and draw out lessons from these questions:




In what way can MASVAW’s networked and institutionally rooted approach to
addressing GBV with men and boys be appropriate and effective in the Indian
context, and where are the opportunities for making this more effective?
Given that MASVAW is a ‘campaigning network’, covering multiple levels, institutional
settings and strategies, how can we understand the dynamics of this kind of
networked approach?
What contributes to successes, in which ways, and what missed opportunities can be
identified to strengthen the approach?

22

Annex 1

List of participants

Name

Affiliation

1. Ram Prakash

MASVAW

2. Virendra Kumar Rai

MASVAW, CERT

3. Rajdev Chaturvedi

MASVAW, Gramin Punarnirman Sansthan

4. Anand Singh Sahi

MASVAW, PRAYAS

5. Pooran Chandra

MASVAW, PRAYAS

6. Jagpal Singh

MASVAW, Sad bhavna Vikas Samiti

7. Shishir Chandra

MASVAW, SAHAYOG

8. Dhananjay Kumar Rai

MASVAW, SPEED

9. Nasim Ansari

MASVAW Tarun Chetna

10. Dr Ramesh Kumar Kushwaha

MASVAW Varanasi

11. Nitesh Kumar

MASVAW Varanasi

12. Dr Sanjay Singh

MASVAW Varanasi

13. Mahendra Kumar

CHSJ

14. Satish Kumar Singh

CHSJ

15. Jerker Edström

IDS, UK

16. Thea Shahrokh

IDS, UK

17. Santosh Kushwaha

Tarun Vikas Sansthan

23

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