The launch of the We Can campaign in Gujarat began with presentations on the theme of the campaign on 19 December 2004. The venue was the Chinubhai Chimanbhai Sabhagruh in H K Arts College, Ahmedabad. The 700-seat auditorium was packed with students, activists, media persons, and prominent members of the society.

Anand Kishore Das, Programme Manager, Oxfam, welcomed the participants and the guests and placed the issue of violence against women in perspective. Poonam Kathuria of the Society for Women’s Action Training and Initiative (SWATI) spoke about the poor status of women in Gujarat and their declining numbers. Ilaben Pathak of the Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group (AWAG) stressed the importance of working with youth especially young men on the issue of violence against women and promoting gender equality.

The presentations were followed by a 40-minute compelling play in Hindi ‘Akbar Keh Raha Hai’ directed and written by Saumya Joshi of Fade-in Theatres. The play was an unconventional one and more in the nature of an amalgam of prose, poetry, songs and dialogue. The central theme of the play was ‘Equal Relationships Are Violence Free’ and it explored the various forms of violence. Lesser-known literature from Sudan, excerpts from the lives of contract labourers of Africa and from women of different parts of the world was incorporated. The discrete pieces were bound together by the centrality of the theme and choreography, music and narration. This play was performed earlier at the national launch in New Delhi.