How can anyone have a problem with wanting equal rights for women: Farhan Akhtar

Interview with film-maker and actor

Filmmaker and actor Farhan Akhtar was recently appointed South Asia Goodwill Ambassador by UN Women, the first man to be given that role by the organisation, dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment. Last year, Akhtar had launched a social campaign titled MARD, or Men Against Rape and Discrimination, and he hopes to amplify the movement's message through the UN platform.

In an email interview, he tells Indulekha Aravind about his plans to raise awareness about gender equality and discusses the recent kerfuffle over the term "feminist", wondering why anybody, male or female, would have a problem with wanting a level playing field for women.

Could you describe the importance of having a HeForShe campaign? What made you want to be part of it?

The HeforShe campaign focuses on the importance of men becoming active partners in making the world an equal place for all genders to live in. It has the same objective as the MARD initiative and being initiated by the UN, it is sure to amplify the message or call to action.

What do you plan to do raise awareness about gender equality in your role as a UN ambassador?

MARD is currently involved in a campaign called 'Helping Women Get Online' which aims to bridge the gap of male and female Internet users in India. We believe it to be a tool that can educate and empower them. We have also been engaging with student communities across India to emphasise the importance of a new mindset their generation has an opportunity to bring into the popular consciousness of our society.

November 19th was International Men's Day -- do you feel that men also need a day, and why?

I'm not too convinced by the need for these days but now since there is one, we should use it as a day to reflect and analyse how much progress we've made in the direction of an equal world, over the previous year.

Are such days of relevance, or have they become a tokenism, hijacked by brands?

In struggles like these, each day is relevant.

There seems to be a growing backlash over the term "feminism" and "feminist" these days --what is your take on the situation? Is it a case of the term being misunderstood?

I do feel that some people tend to get caught up over-analysing these terms. There's history to why there needed to be a distinct identity for a movement by women. In today's world, it's the ideology behind these terms that truly matter. Any person, man or woman wanting equal rights and a level playing field for women is a feminist. How can anyone have a problem with that?