I usually volunteer with Meri Pathshala, helping children with reading and homework after school. I am also a college debater, so I am used to speaking on big issues, but today felt different. This was not about arguing a point. It was about showing up.
I had signed up because many of the girls I teach had registered, and I thought if they were confident enough to walk for safety, I should be there too. But honestly, I was not sure what my role would be as a boy.
When I reached Wadia College Chowk this morning, the first thing I noticed was how mixed the crowd was. Tiny schoolgirls holding huge placards, college students, parents and volunteers. I felt a little awkward standing there, like maybe people would wonder why a boy had shown up for a walk about women’s safety.
But when the Women in Power speakers began talking, something clicked. I looked around and saw other boys listening quietly, the same way I was. Some looked uncomfortable because topics like boundaries and consent are not things we talk about openly. I felt that discomfort too, but it made me realise something important. If I expect the girls I teach to feel safe, then I need to learn and show up, not stand on the side pretending it is not my issue.
During the walk I was placed with a group of Class Eight children. The boys kept glancing at the girls before saying or doing anything, almost as if they were waiting for permission. I encouraged them to read their placards out loud. They hesitated at first, but then one boy started chanting a line confidently, and the girls responded. Watching them walk in sync felt like a quiet shift in how they saw each other.
Today taught me that supporting safety is not only about big statements. It is about daily behaviour. It is about how we walk, how we speak, how we respect space, how we listen. It is the small things boys and men do that either make someone feel safe or unsafe.
Walking with SHE made me feel accountable in a new way. Not guilty, not pressured, just… aware. I want to continue volunteering because I do not want to be someone who stays silent. I want to be someone who learns, speaks up and becomes part of the solution.
Today I understood that change does not start with girls demanding safety. It starts with boys deciding to stand beside them.
Aditya, Age 20
SHE Matters – Peace Walk
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