‘I need the saving, not girls’: In this ad young boys urge parents to raise their sons right
The “save the boy child” campaign questions male privilege instead of victim-shaming women.
Sometimes – even if not always, ask PepsiCo – even jumping on to a popular cause can lead to worthy results. A public service advertisement created by ad agency FCB Ulka does just that, exploring the causes of violence against women.
As many people have suggested, the idea here is not to focus on how women can ensure safety for themselves, but to question male privilege, which is, consciously or unconsciously, passed on to sons at an early age.
“Save me from growing up and becoming a rapist,” says a young boy.
“Treat her with importance so I can watch and learn...because by the time I grow up, it’ll be too late.”
The need for early gender sensitisation in Indian education has been discussed in the past, but even before children set foot in a school, they already carry many ideas in their heads. Parents and family, in this case, are the teachers who need to be taught.
The advertisement comes a month after Chief Justice JS Khehar questioned why the male is often considered the master of the house. “Wife takes the responsibility of making the man and children comfortable. That makes the man master…children see the roles and management inside the house,” he explained at a seminar on gender justice, organised by the Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee (GSICC).