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Breakthrough India’s Reframe summit discusses ‘Engaging men and boys is critical to achieve gender equality’

NEW DELHI, March 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Breakthrough India’s three day Pan-Asia summit “Reframe” started a dialogue on raising awareness on concerns around accountability in the sphere of transforming masculinities and engaging men and boys to achieve gender equality. Initiated by Breakthrough India, the conversation revolved around practices, and challenges in implementing accountability standards.
As India struggles to keep pace with its gender equality targets, national reports of progress against Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality evidence the need for an increased understanding and awareness of the unequal power relations between men and women in society. Globally, current trends show that men and boys have largely been excluded from the gender equality discourse. The engagement of men and boys is a crucial element for progress in India and beyond.
Samitha Sugathimala, Director Programs / Advisor on Gender and Development, FISD, Sri Lanka started the discussion by noting, “When it comes to prevention of gender based violence, there have been a lot of male dominated interventions coming in but there has not been any research about the outcomes of these programmes, in terms of accountability, programme designing, policies, etc. There is a lack of consultation with women’s rights organisations, lack of acknowledgement of women’s rights and leadership, and men in the movement have been taking too much space, especially in leadership roles. We have to question all of these to accelerate the outcomes of the programmes.”  
As envisioned in the Beijing Platform for Action, one critical piece for advancing the gender equality agenda is engaging men and boys. The Beijing framework envisioned male engagement as a necessary means to challenge the structures, beliefs, practices, and institutions that sustain men’s aggregate privileges, as well as to address inequalities between women and men.
Anthony Keedi, Program Manager, Masculinities and engaging men in Gender Equality, Lebanon, said “Accountability is about acknowledging and understanding the part one plays in the harm done against women and other groups in patriarchy through our hidden powers and privileges. On the other hand, the work on engaging men and masculinities should be in conversation with women. Women, and other marginalised groups need to be at the forefront of this process to ensure that we recognise who we are doing this for.”
While women become more empowered to assert their rights, many organisations are also realising the importance of engaging men and boys in the conversation in order to break the cycle of violence. Currently, involving men and boys to achieve social equality varies by country and context. But we need to consider the various factors that influence men and boys, and thus, the work on men and masculinities.
Madhumita Das, Feminist Researcher, Faculty, The George Washington University, India, noted, “If you look at growing evidence about involving men and boys in transforming injustices, most initiatives have a very narrow focus and have been adapted as an instrumental approach rather than strategy. It has been observed that these initiatives tend to over justify the reason for integrating the component rather than deeply understanding how this move will help achieve the overall goal of gender equality. Accountability to women’s rights activists, SRHR, and LGBTQIA+ movement will ensure that our efforts are more effective and impactful and it must be central to all our work with men and boys. Accountability starts with us, from the point of recognising our power and privilege, pushing for collaborative actions, and helping in addressing both personal and institutional practices that go against gender equality and equal rights. Additionally, we have to build a relationship with all the movements that are seeking to challenge the current norms of gender equality.”
Adding to this thought, Sanjog Thakuri, Founder, President of Yuwalaya, Kathmandu, said, “While working with men and masculinities, we have seen that it is very easy for men to talk about gender equality. Two things are missing in our initiatives involving men and boys: conceptual planning and movement building. Men and boys are taking the lead in gender based violence but due to the lack of conceptual clarity, they are exaggerating the engagement of men and doing the bare minimum and occupying the space. We need meaningful and ethical participation of men and boys in the feminist discourse.”
The majority of the work with men and boys focuses on individual behaviour change. While this is important, it is equally vital to ensure that work on men and masculinities centres the systems change agenda in order for this field to meaningfully add value to advance the broader feminist agenda of equality and justice.

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Vikram Vedha to open its advance bookings in 1250 multiplexes from 24th September

Having received an amazing response from the masses for its amazing trailer, the makers of Hrithik
Roshan and Saif Ali Khan starrer Vikram Vedha are currently creating a buzz all around for its electrifying
dance number ‘Alcoholia’. While the audience is eagerly waiting for the film to hit the theaters, the
makers are all set to open the advance booking windows for the Audience.

Undoubtedly Vikram Vedha is one of the most anticipated movies of the year and the craze for the film
among the audience is constantly rising as the film is inching toward its release date. Putting an end to
the audience’s wait, the makers are all set to start the advance bookings of the film today.

Moreover, Vikram Vedha will have the largest international distribution for a Hindi film, with a record-
breaking 100+ countries worldwide. Before its release, the film has sparked worldwide interest and
appeal, and many countries have already begun advance bookings.

Vikram Vedha is presented by Gulshan Kumar, T-Series, and Reliance Entertainment in association with
Friday Filmworks and Jio Studios and a YNOT Studios Production. The film is directed by Pushkar and
Gayatri and produced by Bhushan Kumar, S. Sashikanth and Reliance Entertainment. Vikram Vedha will hit the big screens globally on 30th September 2022.

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Manoj Bajpayee will take 1 week off from his schedule to attend all the rituals on his fathers 1st death Anniversary day.

Three times National Film Awards and the Padma Shri winning actor Manoj Bajpayee who has completed three decades in the showbiz business and Juggling with multiple projects between different genres, characters and mediums. Manoj Bajpayee is a powerhouse actor when it comes to Indian cinema. Even if you haven’t seen many of his movies, you will have heard of talented actor Manoj Bajpayee’s name because of his brilliant performances in his films. The finest actor has become synonymous with content-driven subjects who also have been consistently working in multiple film industries.

The finest actor of Hindi cinema Manoj Bajpayee who has several movies lined up this year, will be taking 1 week off from his current project, which is directed by Apurva(Aspirant fame & produced by Vinod Bhanushali in mid september and will be leaving for his home town with his wife and daughter to attend all the puja rituals on his father’s 1st death anniversary day. Manoj Bajpayee’s father RK Bajpayee passed away at 83, last year in Delhi.

The actor believes that a family is a very important & priority in his life, in spite of his erratic schedules or no matter where he is, it is his first priority to always be with his family with all his support & spend time with them in any situations.After finishing all the rituals puja and family work,Manoj will immediately resume his shoot to finish his project on time without taking any time for himself.

Manoj Bajpayee has recently finished his 3 upcoming projects, one with Ram Reddy’s untitled film, which also has talented actor Deepika Dobriyal in the film. After that he finished RSVP’s Despatch, (A investigative thriller set in the world of crime journalism.) directed by Kanu Behl. Abhishek Chaubeys’s film which also has star cast like Konkana Sen, Sayaji Shinde,Naseer sir and some well known talented actors from south. Fox Stars Studios,Chalkboard Entertainment, Autonomous Works film, Gulmohar directed by Rahul Chittella ( who was assistant of Meena Nair) working with Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, and Amol Palekar along with Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi) and Simran Rishi Bagga in pivotal roles.

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Here comes the title of Jackky Bhagnani’s Jjust Music upcoming RVD’s soulful creation ‘Raaz’

Jackky Bhagnani’s Jjust Music has been coming up with some really amazing songs one after the other and now they are here with the title of their upcoming heart-touching melody by RVD, a soulful creation ‘Raaz’. It’s a melodious song by an Indie rap artist, RVD that evokes his potential lover to become his secret as that way she’ll go down to the grave with him and stay with him forever. 

The song captures a glimpse of feelings that brings a boy close to the emotions of his lover encapsulating his zest for involving her in his life a secret that will stay with him for life. Jotting down his deepest emotions learn from his life, RVD beautifully communicates through his art in music a feeling of true happiness that can only be appreciated and enjoyed in privacy as the unconditional bond they share is completely sacred which the world won’t understand as they’re not in our shoes. 

Moreover, the artist in a true sense, RVD is an artist who’s been given all the love by the world but battles and deals with his own loneliness by making music, he talks about how he has learned ‘you can’t be lonely if you’re comfortable being alone’ in the process, and through only music, he can express these thoughts. He is an artist who makes modernized music with a blend of cultural touches in Urdu and Punjabi languages, which makes him stand out from the general crowd.

RVD, is an Indie rap artist from Kolkata, West Bengal who’s been making much sound on the east side. Performed alongside pan India artists like Mohit Chauhan, Dino James, Zareen, Kayan, Gully Gang, etc. With tracks like ‘Riha’ and ‘Iteyhaas’ which have done extremely well, RVD has even caught a lot of attention and traction in the general crowd and the gaming world on a pan-India basis.

Meanwhile, Jjust Music made it to the headlines for it’s first PAN India music video Mashooka starring bold and quirky Rakul Preet. The song turned out to be a huge success and was received well by the audience.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ci2B4nfA-K6/?igshid=ODBkMDk1MTU=

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