It was time she stood up: Afsar’s Story
01-01-1970
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Kadam Badhate Chalo
Collective footsteps to address sexual and gender-based violence
Collective footsteps to address sexual and gender-based violence
Young people around the world have enormous potential to become leaders of change. In the last few decades, they consistently demonstrated a motivation to be a key part of the change that they wish to see in the world and their futures.
Kadam Badhate Chalo – Martha Farrell Foundation's flagship program – is premised on this energy. The program is a unique collaboration between adolescents, the community, civil society, and administrative systems to enable collective action against sexual and gender-based violence.
Co-designed and co-implemented with adolescent leaders, the program supports adolescents to undertake a journey of discovering their inner potential, learning skills, knowledge and developing their individual and collective voice and agency, to take collective action to counter sexual and gender-based violence in their lives.
adolescent partners
states, 26 locations
individuals reached
Every year, up to 50 Kadam Badhate Chalo Fellows from around the country are selected to be a part of 'Antargoonj: Discovering your inner voice', a three-day residential National Leadership Workshop held in Delhi.
Antargoonj is an opportunity for Fellows to meet one another, build community, learn from one another and participate in rigorous training sessions that focus on sharpening their leadership, issue understanding, and advocacy skills.
“After the Kadam Badhate Chalo program, I believe the stigma attached with “agar hum ladki hai toh hame aise karna hai” has been lifted. I had ‘boyish’ habits earlier, and I thought I had to see a doctor, but now I realize it’s completely normal. Also, now, if someone tries to harass me, I know how to take action against it. I understood my capabilities and my flaws as well.” Anandita (16), Bhubaneswar, Odisha
“Whoever I am, it is because of Kadam Badhate Chalo. I want to be a social worker one day. My father is also a social worker and I like his thinking. It overlaps with what we learn in KBC as well. I want to work for the development of slum areas, and better education should be provided in those areas.” Biswapriya (14), Bhubaneswar, Odisha
“There are gender roles assigned to males and females that are not natural or normal, and we should raise our voices against them. I have changed a lot because of Kadam Badhate Chalo. I have learned to speak up at home as well, and tell my parents if they’re doing something wrong. I told them that my brother should be equally aware of how to cook, not just me.” Aaliya (16), Pawti, Haryana
“When I came to Delhi for Antargoonj, I learned and realised for the first time that gender discrimination doesn’t just happen around us, it also happens in our own homes. The experience helped me reflect on how in many ways, I too have been perpetrating gender bias and discrimination and what I can do to change myself and my family.” Sheila (14), Jharkhand
