Toxic masculinity and hope in modern-day India

Gender-based violence India is receiving growing international attention. Horrifying stories of gang-rapes and murders of Indian women have emerged. But there are also men seeking change. Boys Who Like Girls, screened at the Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF), follows the story of Ved, a teenage boy with an abhorrent view of women whose views are challenged by Aspar, a young social worker at Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA). The film questions the concept of masculinity and addresses men’s roles in efforts to combat gender-based violence.

MAVA is dedicated to challenging ingrained misogyny in India and was founded by Harish Sadani, a 50-year old feminist who has fought for gender equality in India for 20 years. In this breakfast seminar Torunn Wimplemann (CMI) will interview Harish Sadani. The discussion will be accompanied by clips from the film.

The event is a collaboration between BIFF, the Bergen Resource Centre CMI/UIB and LawTransform.

It is free and open to all. Coffee and croissants will be served!

Image: Boys who like Girls / BIFF