Gender Equality: Pune NGO Trains Over 10,000 Students, Launches Nepal Project
Reported by Siddhi Patil
Pune, 30th July 2025: The Equal Community Foundation (ECF) has released its Annual Report titled “Thriving Beyond Change: Stories of Strength and Solidarity,” showcasing a year of bold progress, youth-led action, and expanded impact across Pune and internationally. The Pune-based organisation reached over 10,000 students through its school-based Gender Equality Programme in 100 city schools and launched its first cross-border collaboration in Nepal. Through sustained work with adolescent boys and girls, ECF continues to drive meaningful change toward a gender-just society.
ECF also introduced a 12-week intensive Gender Equality Programme in nine schools under the Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, offering deeper engagement on gender issues. Meanwhile, the Action for Equality (AfE) programme engaged 236 boys aged 12 to 17 in critical conversations about masculinity, gender norms, and violence. Parallelly, 214 girls graduated from the Antarang programme, focusing on voice, agency, and self-awareness.
“With over 19 years in the social sector, I currently lead Equal Community Foundation, an organisation dedicated to raising gender-equitable boys,” said Anjana Goswami, Executive Director of ECF. “Having led this work for over a decade, I am deeply confident in the approach of engaging men and boys as a pathway to preventing gender-based violence.”
Goswami further emphasised the foundational values that guide the organisation. “I believe leadership is not defined by what we say, but by what we consistently do. True leadership is rooted in integrity, accountability, and the courage to share power — not hold it. That’s the ethos we strive to live by at ECF,” she said.
She added, “The most pressing challenge today is gender inequality. While efforts to empower women and girls must continue at full speed, we must also address the roots of inequality. For instance, promoting girls’ education and women’s financial independence becomes unsustainable if boys and men are not taught to live in partnership with empowered women. Patriarchy affects all of us, and until we recognise the role of boys and men in this equation, progress will remain incomplete.”
ECF also launched YOULead, a youth-led initiative created by its youth consultants to build leadership and life skills. In addition, 30 alumni from low-income communities were trained to identify and address local challenges as community leaders.
Internationally, ECF’s Project Raise trained 176 participants including 84 facilitators and 92 Master of Social Work students in the Gender Transformative Approach. Workshops were conducted in India and Nepal, in collaboration with organisations such as Jan Sahas, I Am Woman, and UNiCoN.
The foundation’s campaigns, including Men Can Share and Positive Male Role Models, advocated for healthy masculinity and shared caregiving.
Reflecting on the year, Goswami said, “The year 2024–2025 has been one of introspection, resilience, and realizing the power of meaningful collaboration. As we move forward, we do so with renewed focus, determination, and a spirit of innovation. Our commitment is to deepen our impact, grow our ecosystem of change, and forge purposeful, values-aligned partnerships.”
With a long-term vision of building a world free from gender-based violence, ECF continues its mission to nurture empathy, respect, and shared responsibility among all genders — beginning with the next generation.
