About Yuva Maitri

Yuva Maitri (meaning ‘Friendship Among Youths’) is an on-going innovative Project of Harish Sadani, Hon. Secretary, Men Against Violence & Abuse (MAVA), as a part of ‘Health & Population Innovation’ Fellowship received from Population Council, an international voluntary organization based in New York.  Under the Project, male students of select colleges in rural Maharashtra are being sensitized on gender and sexuality matters and a rich pool of male communicators is being created.

Objectives of the project

The overall goal of this project is to enable young men to adopt positive models of masculinity that promote gender sensitivity and help prevent violence and abuse of women. A secondary goal is to explore the feasibility of engaging young male communicators in developing positive models of masculinity among their peers.

Specific Project Objectives are:

• To sensitize and train selected college students (male) and faculty members on gender issues; and equip them to communicate with other college students on sexuality and gender and to develop positive models of masculinity;
• To enable trainees to conduct training programs for other students in their colleges on gender issues, sexuality and masculinity; and
• if successful, facilitate institutionalizing the program in the select colleges

Location of the Proposed Project

The project is located among male students and faculty members from 6 purposively selected colleges of Pune district, Maharashtra. They are:

1. Grammonati Mandal’s  College of Arts, Commerce & Science, Narayangaon
2. Annasaheb Awate College, Manchar
3. Acharya Atre’s  College of Arts, Jejuri
4. Waghire College, Saswad
5. Annnasaheb Magar College,  Hadapsar
6. Hari V. Desai College, Budhwar Peth,  Pune City

Students promoting dialogue through Wallnewspaper	Student trainees creating their own space

 

Project Description:

Around 33 male students -- largely from First Year Degree Course involved in NSS – National Service Scheme, sports or other extra-curricular activities and from  different backgrounds : religion, caste and economic -- were intensely trained in 2006-2007 by the Fellow.

Curriculum Content of the training has covered the following 6 themes:
1. Gender - Sex and Gender; Gender Constructs; Gender Operating as a System; Privileges and Restrictions; Gender and Development; Personal Change Plan

2. Sexuality - Dimensions of Sexuality; Gendering of Male and Female Sexuality; Sexual Hierarchies; Body and Body Image; Reproductive Body; Sexual Identities

3. Rights, Equality and Equity - Human Rights Framework, Sexual Rights & Values

4. Sexual Health - Genital hygiene; Men’s Heath Issues; Gender, Reproductive & Sexual Health;   STIs, HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment & Care

5. Violence - Violence as a Gender Issue, Nature and Forms; Gender, Power and Violence in Sexual Relations; Masculinity & Violence; Homophobia and Violence

6. Preventing Violence - Dealing with Dilemmas, Conflict & Anger; Male Empowerment; Self-Esteem & Caring

Experienced professionals including Harish Sadani, social activist Milind Chavan, sexologists Dr. Anant Sathe and Dr. Vithal Prabhu,  Prof. Ravindra R. P. from SNDT University (Mumbai), psychiatrist Dr. Harish Shetty, Dr. Geeta Bhave working on HIV/ AIDS, were involved in the year-long training sessions. There were residential training programs, workshops and refresher sessions, usage of varied material and youth-friendly media like group discussion exercises, film-screenings, visual charts, experimental plays and songs, wall newspapers carrying messages and generating issue-based discussion on contemporary events, community events and youth meets as a part of the training.

Trained communicators interact at information stall	Youths at Exhibition meet

 

Following this, the core of student trainers are themselves conducting periodic awareness sessions for peers in their respective colleges since August 2007. They are sharing their knowledge and concerns on the subject using varied media and promoting a healthy dialogue among men on issues surrounding masculinity, sexuality and gender-based violence.