Eighteen-year-old Mohammed Arshad lives with his parents and three siblings, two brothers and a sister in Baruipur. He has studied in Thomas Day High School and has now joined the Padmapukur Institution. He has recently enrolled himself for a BCA degree at the Merchant and Marine Academy. Greatly inspired by his friend Azeem’s father, he set up a Youths United Voluntary Action ( YUVA ) two years ago with the help of five friends. They started with a small survey on educational levels in the community and soon launched their own coaching classes, teaching Hindi, Bengali and Urdu. They have 60 students. As part of YUVA, he has facilitated discussions on rape and violence against women. This, he says, made him realise that this was an un addressed issue that needs to be brought into public discourse. The result: the focus of YUVA has shifted to violence against women. “ I notice discrimination in my own neighbourhood where girls are denied educational opportunities and women are often subject to domestic abuse. As I have gained the strength to speak out against such imbalances, I try to spread the message that equal relationships are violence free,” he argues. At his own home, he supports his younger sister’s claim to education and helps out with the domestic chores. With his friends, he is often the subject of ridicule as he protests against harassment of girls. But he remains undeterred and is keen to keep YUVA engaged in these issues.”