Derived from the Greek word patriarkhēs, patriarchy- the rule of the father is a term that refers to a social system where men control an excessively large share of social, economic, political and religious power, and inheritance usually passes down the male line. To challenge and dismantle the patriarchal structures, Leher Sethi (Founder-PAP Summit) hosted a full day event on Wednesday, 2nd April 2025 at the Multipurpose Hall, India International Center, New Delhi.
True change requires the individuals to address issues at their root. The PAP Summit provides a first of its kind platform that openly discusses and challenges a system that has conditioned us all, often without conscious awareness. Featuring six sessions on issues that are considered sensible and controversial, the Summit attempted to make people conscious of the inequities and biases they face every day, often unaware due to generational conditioning:
Session 1- Diversity in the Workplace
(Moderator Bilal Hasan, Dimple Mittal, Roopam Gupta & Tanushree Bhowmik)
Session 2- The Trolling Saga
(Moderator Shubhrastha, Ishrat Jahan, Dr. Ruchika Sharma, Dr. Sanjukta Basu & Dr. Udit Raj)
Session 3- Marital: The Legal Rape
(Anil Murthy, Barkha Trehan, Dr. Ruchika Sharma, Yashovardhan Azad & Yogita Bhayana)
Session 4- Self Stigma of Masculinity
(Moderator Khurafati Nitin, Anil Murthy, Barkha Trehan, Prerna Vats & Dr. Ruchika Sharma)
Session 5- Breaking the Silence around Sexual Harassment
(Moderator Smita Sharma, Kiran Sethi, Naaz Joshi, Neha Rai, Jogita Bhayana & Dr. Garima Jain)
Session 6- Patriarchy in Cinema
(Anil Murthy, Anish Gawande, Kaveree Bamzai, Nasir Abdullah & Nelofar Currimbhoy)
With a keynote address by the founder, the summit was followed by the panel discussion that witnessed some powerful discourse along with inspiring and encouraging words from the panellists. The summit was a step to showcase their commitment to sustained action, reflection, and change as together, they rise against patriarchy, not just in words, but in the way women choose to live every day.
In the words of Mrs Leher Sethi (Founder), “Patriarchy is the system where men dominate women in both private and public spheres. It remains the most significant obstacle to women’s advancement as it upholds the ideology that men are superior and women should be controlled. The PAP Summit 2025 attempts to challenge cultures, traditions and behaviours that enable the subjugation of other genders.”
Roopam Gupta (Co-founder) added, “I decided to co-found the People Against Patriarchy Summit because the fight for gender equality is more important than ever. This summit is about creating a space where individuals from all backgrounds can come together, share experiences, and mobilize for meaningful change. We need collective action, diverse voices, and a commitment to dismantling the structures that uphold oppression—only then can we truly begin to envision a world of equality and justice for all.”
Sanjukta Basu (Co-founder) said, “I have worked with women’s rights organisations in India for close to 20 years. Every organisation does tons of events like seminars and conferences but I never saw an event which featured speakers from diverse ideologies and opinions. Feminist discourse mostly remains in silos. Leher Sethi envisioned the PAP Summit to be a rare event in which both feminists and men’s rights activists could come together on the same table. It is also a rare event which directly challenges patriarchy. No academic jargons, no side stepping. A really honest and brave initiative. I also knew that this is one event where I won’t have to avoid the F word, the Feminist word. That’s what motivated me to join her as a co-founder. I felt “at home” with the idea of the PAP Summit.”
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Nishit Priya
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