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Development Initiatives for Change (Di4C) is launching an innovative and unique initiative – a campaign Â#IamforABCÂ for promoting equality including gender equality through an online portal (www.iam4abc.com) with senior school children from classes 9thto 12thin Delhi and NCR. ABC stands for ÂAb Banenge Change-makerÂ.
The campaign plans to reach out through interactive learning sessions to school children in about 500 schools including government and private; and through them to their parents, friends, and families that will take the strength of the outreach to nearly half a million people, making it a unique drive.
Besides reaching out to minimum 500 schools, through various social media platforms or other communication channels  Di4C, its partners and the participating schools will spread the campaign message encouraging visitors to the portal who not only can show support to the campaign but can also share their stories  small or big – of being the change-makers. The stories truly inspiring, will appear on the campaignÂs blog.
The Di4C initiative is aligned to the Global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which is committed to focus on youngsters, children, and youth, amplify their voices and activate them to participate as partners in any process of change.
The campaign is being launched on August 15, 2019. Indo-German Social Service Society (IGSSS) and Caritas India are partners to the campaign. At the launch, Green Fields School (Safdurjung Enclave), Hope Hall Foundation School (R K Puram), K R Mangalam World School (Greater Kailash ÂII), The Indian School (Sadiq Nagar) – are participating as the Âtrendsetter schools who showcase as centers for learning, their motivating and engaging children to be the change-makers in their lives, and grow to be responsible citizens of tomorrow. The campaign closes with an event planned on December 10, 2019 which is also the Human Rights Day and marks the closing of the worldwide 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
As we all are aware of inequalities, biases, stereotypes exist everywhere and India by no means is unique. However, in our country biases can be rigid influenced by socially constructed norms, practices and beliefs. This in turn influences — and has influenced — different forms of aggression, in particular violence against girls and women as the data from the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) also shows that crimes and violence against girls and women has increased by 80 per cent over the last decade.
Multiple efforts – from government, non-government and the civil society  has worked towards influencing the patriarchal and peopleÂs orthodox mindsets that has through a socialization process over the years, led to discrimination, biases, gender stereotyping and even prejudices.
With the tagline “#I am for ABC”, the campaign driving the youngsters to action contributes towards generating awareness, sensitizing people through a depiction of various positive actions and constructive efforts – starting from within homes, in schools and in other public places – that have addressed or are addressing different kinds of inequalities that exist in our society, also inequalities that may be emerging in a rapidly changing modern environment and spreading in urban, rural, also less urbanized centers.
From its launch day until the campaign closes  the portal will become a knowledge portal of sharing and learning, inspiring and getting inspired, and influencing hopefully lot of people including the youngsters – the critical medium of the campaign, to be a change-maker in their lives to contribute towards a better, just, harmonious and equal society – wherein people regard the opposite or any gender with dignity and respect; advance equality including gender equality by breaking biases and stereotypes; and also influence others to do the same.
Di4C is a knowledge management firm and is the brainchild of Dr. Malika Basu who previously led Solution Exchange for Gender Community (2008-2014), a knowledge management initiative of the United Nations in India.
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