Navya Naveli Nanda spreads the good word on the streets

Navya Naveli Nanda

Since late June, Navya Naveli Nanda is on a road trip. But it is far from the classic road trip with friends in the monsoon. Instead, Nanda - granddaughter to Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, and daughter to Shweta Bachchan Nanda - has been travelling the length and breadth of the country, spreading the good word. Through You Grow Girl, a 30-day roadshow in eight cities of India, she wants to equip college students to tackle street harassment.

Delhi was her first stop, followed by Bengaluru. She recently started her Mumbai leg with a visit to the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) campus and Sophia College. "Next up, we have Pillai College [of Engineering]," says Nanda, who is collaborating with Yuvaa for the initiative. "We are visiting five campuses [in each city] to talk about dealing with street harassment. It also trains people to either help themselves in such a situation, or to step in if they are a bystander." The programme teaches men and women the 5D methodology - distract, delegate, document, delay and direct.

Her next stops will be Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Pune. Even as she helps women become self-reliant, Nanda emphasises the role of men in promoting women's safety. "As fathers, brothers, partners and teachers, men play crucial roles in women's lives. They have a responsibility of creating safe spaces for women."

The roadshow also offers a fellowship programme, thus tying in with her efforts towards women empowerment. "We want to create a community where we can foster ideas led by women and support them - be it financially or by way of mentorship and resources."