A Pioneer and Leader in India working among Men and Boys to prevent gender-based violence on women

I have been knowing Mr. Harish Sadani, for over 5 years, as a pioneer and
leader in the movement for gender equality in India.
In March 1993, Harish co-founded Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), a
voluntary organization of sensitive and concerned men to work with Men and Boys
on issues of gender-based violence against women, enabling them to and speak for
the rights of women to safety and dignity. This is pioneering and significant work in
India. Harish has been sensitizing and ‘men’toring hundreds and thousands of
young men and adolescent boys across India on issues of gender, masculinity,
diversity and sexuality.
Harish has been working painstakingly with women’s rights organizations,
educational institutions including Universities and Colleges, Civil Society Bodies
across India to advocate male involvement for gender equality. I have interacted with
Harish and some of his adolescent youth leaders during the course of my shoot of a
documentary film based on this work. The film titled ‘Boys Who Like Girls’, directed
by me and released a year ago, is being screened to numerous international film
festivals and the issues covered in the film are being deliberated. Over the past few
years, I have keenly observed Harish’s role in influencing and shaping a significant
number of young men in colleges, in rural and urban communities, sensitizing them
on gender and toxic masculinity issues, and equipping them to communicate with
peers and men in the larger community. Through a unique travelling film festival
being run by him (now in its 3 rd year), street-play performances, inter-collegiate
meets and competitions, wall newspapers, innovative workshops, annual cultural
magazine and social media, Harish has been advancing his work to the hinterlands
and cities across India through a dedicated team of 700 plus ignited youth mentors.
Harish has been providing safe, non-threatening spaces to young men and women
in Universities, Colleges and other educational bodies to open up, exchange
thoughts, ideas, dilemmas and experiences on gender, sexuality and toxic
masculinity and its impact on women and men, which is so vital in today’s times
where crimes against women is alarmingly at a high level in India. This work is finally
empowering women and preventing gender-based and sexual violence which is
neglected by many stakeholders. This work is also very challenging and hence
commendable, in the light of patriarchal forces constantly influencing the subsystems
of Indian society.
Harish is a strong leader with a Vision and Mission, with a clear strategy and a road-
map involving a vast youth population, their lives transformed for a better, healthier
tomorrow. I strongly recommend Harish for the World Pulse Spirit Award in view of his notable
contribution towards women’s empowerment and human emancipation. I believe that
honouring a Man of Substance would inspire many young men and boys to take
ownership of issues that are largely seen as ‘‘women’s issues’’.