NGOs release charter urging men to say no to violence against women

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) A 10-point charter was released here by Non-Government Organisations on Tuesday urging men to become agents of change and say no to all forms of violence against women.

The Charter for Men on Preventing Violence Against Women, released by Centre for Social Research (CSR) and Asia Foundation, urges boys and men to engage in a dialogue on gender perceptions around masculinity and femininity through interpersonal dialogue and social media.

It calls upon men not to use the abusive language that targets women and promotes a culture of misogyny, and to rally around opinion leaders who create healthy gender definitions.

It also strives to initiate a dialogue between legislature, judiciary and the executive for gender sensitisation leading to policy changes.

It suggests using social media platforms to highlight matters related to gender.

A press release issued by CSR and Asia Foundation said they were also running a programme 'Engaging Men and boys in Countering Violence Against Women - Developing a New Generation of Change-Makers'.

CSR director Ranjana Kumari said that they will send the charter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and request them "to kick start this noble change process" and advise various departments to display it prominently.

"We shall also be sharing this with institutions across the country," she said.