Notable Contributions By MAVA

  • To date, reached out to over 3000 men and women facing gender-related problems,Successful in handling over 300 individual cases
  • Taken specific stands for disadvantaged women and men by addressing contemporary gender-based issues from time to time  These include 
       i) Raising awareness about the acid attack on a 19-year old Dipti Khanna and mobilising monies for her plastic surgeries 
       ii) Support to the struggle for justice by a lecturer at Marathi Department, SNDT University molested by her Department Head 
       iii) Mobilising signature campaigns involving men and support meetings in aid of Bhanwari Devi, Rajasthan-- who was gang-raped and the 5 accused were acquitted 
       iv) Massive Campaigns on Domestic Violence and Cruelty meted to girls and women out of jilted love 
       v) Falsifying the claims made by Purush Hakka Saurankshan Samiti that women in large numbers are misusing Sec. 498 A of IPC to harass innocent men 
       vi) Creating awareness about mute spectatorship by the public in wake of rape of a minor girl in a suburban local train
  • Organised over 90 one-day unique workshops for various groups of girls & women imparting them simple self-defence techniques and assertiveness training
  • Since inception, worked very closely with women’s organizations in Mumbai like Akshara, Stree Mukti Sanghatana, Sakhya, Mahila Dakshata Samiti, Special Cell for Women-in-Distress and Sophia’s Centre for Women’s Studies. This includes: On-going Referrals, joint collaborative programs for college youths and municipal school children, effort to promote a dialogue with women’s groups across the state on men’s involvement to tackle gender issues
  • Mentoring and supporting other men’s initiatives -- Tathapi Trust and Purush Uvach (Men Speak) group in Pune city and MASVAW (Men’s Action for Stopping Violence Against Women) – a network of 44 organisations based in states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal
  • Garnering support from Colleges and youth bodies to organize specific youth-friendly events & activities like developing awareness campaign material, poetry-reading sessions, film festivals, interactive symposia and panel discussions
  • Purush Spandana (meaning Male Vibrations), the annual Diwali magazine in Marathi language brought out by MAVA and Purush Uvach making waves. The Magazine uses all forms of expressions (exclusively by men)-- short stories, first-person accounts, interviews, graphics, plays, poems, analytical articles, group discussions, micro-studies and interviews. Subjects cover a vast canvas of contemporary issues ranging from sexuality, relationships, socialization, violence against women in diverse forms like sex-selective abortions and murders of young girls by rejected men
  • MAVA approached by various organizations, across Maharashtra state for conducting series of need-based gender sensitization programs specifically addressing young boys and men. These include WOTR – Watershed Organisation Trust, Ahmednagar, NABARD Bank, Solapur, UNIDO – United Nations Industrial Development Organisation working in fruit processing clusters of villages in Sindhudurg district of coastal Maharashtra, Apnalaya in Mumbai.
  • MAVA invited to share at various national & international conferences its insights, practices and strategies of working with men.
    These include : the Sub-regional Workshop on Elimination of Violence against Women in Partnership with Men organized by United Nations in 2003, Workshop by College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan at World Social Forum, Mumbai in 2004, Conference on Sexualities, Masculinities & Cultures in South Asia at Bangalore in 2004 & International Conference on ‘Men as Partners in Sexual & Reproductive Health’ in 2004 in Mumbai by National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health (NIRRH)
  • MAVA has been supported by media and creative professionals from time to time. Artists -Writers like Anil Dabhade, Sanjay Pawar, Vijay Tendulkar, Neela Bhagwat & Shanta Gokhale have been supporting MAVA’s programs reaching out to the public. MAVA’s insights, practices and strategies of working with men to combat violence against women have been receiving prolific coverage in all media – print and audio. Noted Film Director Ashutosh Gowariker has lent his valuable support to MAVA by participating at the Mumbai International Marathon in 2005 and film screenings and discussions on gender themes. Around 26 artists – including painters & sculptors provided their works for sale at an art exhibition in aid of MAVA’s cause in 2003.
  • The Drop-in Centre of MAVA, started in July 2006, has been getting a large number of Men openly talking about their vulnerability, their helplessness, powerlessness, their fears and anxieties on gender issues. Issues cover a gamut of problems including sexual dysfunctions like premature ejaculation, non-consummation of marriage, masturbation, male menopause and issues of violence and abuse. A team of veteran professionals from various disciplines – psychiatry, sexology, law and social work provide their multi-services at the Centre. At the telephonic helpline,(started in 2006) over 1000 calls of men have been answered. These calls range from matters of performance anxiety from boardroom to bedroom, excess anger to familial pressures to get married to unwelcome touch in local trains and other forms of abuse by other men.