Sachin joins hand with NGO to prevent violence against women

Iconic India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will now lend help in preventing domestic violence against women.

The International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) in collaboration with the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF), Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) and Apanalya and with the financial support from NIKE Foundation launched 'Parivartan'.

'Parivartan' will use cricket as a medium to teach boys how to be respectful towards women which in turn will help reduce violence against women and the project, on the lines of the famous American programme 'Coaching Boys Into Men' has been endorsed by Tendulkar.

In a letter to the coaches of 25 schools, Tendulkar said: "Winning a match is important for a coach but a big part of the job is helping to develop a solid, responsible young player who is able to become an upstanding citizen."

The senior batsman said: "Parivartan will use India's most popular sport to teach boys how to be respectful towards women and, in turn, help reduce violence against women."

Delhi-based ICRW, along with other city-based NGOs aims to cultivate gender equity and reduce gender-based violence.

"Sachin was very keen to launch the programme himself but due to IPL schedules he is unable to make it," ICRW's Regional Director, Asia Research Office, Ravi Varma said.

To help stop violence and harassment of women and girls, ICRW and its partners aim to engage cricket coaches who will pass on the message to over 1,000 budding and aspiring cricketers through training programmes.

"Given the popularity of cricket in India we intend to present an important and compelling message through it. With the help of coaches we intend to change inequitable gender attitudes and behaviours," Varma said.

The coaches will teach them how not to use foul language while talking to a woman, how not to carry aggression back home and how to respect women both inside and outside their homes, he said.

Coaches are being trained in Mumbai on how to identify teachable moments on the field where they can point out inappropriate language and behaviour and explain how to change them.

According to ICRW, one out of three married women in India report being physically or psychologically abused. Many women and girls are daily exposed to several forms of violence, from routine eve-teasing and sexual harassment in public to sometimes fatal physical beatings at home.

Apnalaya's Director Leena Joshi quoted National Family Health Survey-III, where it was found that 37 per cent women reported being physically or sexually abused by their husbands.

"Though women are stepping out of their homes to prove themselves but still the violence on them continues both in metros and non-metros," Joshi said.

The survey further said that around 54 per cent of the women surveyed thought that violence on them was justified on some grounds, Joshi said, adding: "Even though women are not economically dependant on men but still men are the bosses of their family."

"Unequal power between men and women has led to domination and discrimination. It is a harmful reality where females are at a high risk of experiencing violence and abuse," Varma said.