In India, Indral Kumar and Golu Kumar are two friends who regularly attend group meetings and awareness-raising sessions on gender issues conducted by PWS&D’s local partner in their villages.

The boys, who are 13 and 14 years old, come from families that believe household work is to be done only by women and that men doing such activities are considered low status. They held little regard for the women in their families, always expecting them to serve the men and fulfill traditional roles without question. Tasks such as fetching a drink or preparing their own meals were considered degrading, as they saw such actions as beneath them due to their gender. 

During the sessions, though, the boys learned about gender roles and stereotypes, as well as gender equality. They also learned how to promote gender equality within their own homes. For Indral and Golu, this was an insightful realization. They had unknowingly perpetuated gender inequality within their families and their new awareness pushed them into action.

They started helping their mothers and sisters with household work, washing their clothes and dishes, and serving food for themselves. They began to understand the difficulties faced by the women in their lives and gained new appreciation for all that their mothers and sisters did for their households. They began to value the women in the family and started supporting them. 

All the other family members were astonished to see the behavioural change.

Indral and Golu started sharing what they had learned in the class with their friends and family members. The positive changes in Indral and Golu had a ripple effect, inspiring their friends and other men in their families to begin showing greater respect for the women in their households.

Seeing their sons’ profound transformation, Golu and Indral’s mothers were deeply moved. They came to meet the project trainers and expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the valuable lessons they had taught their sons.