Across Nepal and the UK, Restless Development is working with young men to question what they have been told about masculinity and to build something better in its place. Through the project “What it Means to Be a Young Man Today,” young leaders are creating conversations in their communities, using media, dialogue, and collective action to promote equality, respect, and accountability. This is the journey of Ankit Chaudhary, a Positive Masculinity Champion from Sarlahi, Madhesh Province in Nepal.
My name is Ankit Chaudhary. I am from Sarlahi in Madhesh Province in Nepal, and I work with Restless Development as a Positive Masculinity Champion.
I grew up hearing the same lines again and again. Men should not cry. Men must always be strong. These words did more than shape our behavior; they built a wall between us and the people we loved. We were taught to trade our emotions for a mask of strength, a choice that ultimately cost us our wellbeing and our deepest connections.
I started to see the cracks in this silence everywhere. I saw friends who had no words for their pain and families where a heavy distance replaced understanding. I saw young men carrying a mountain of pressure without a single hand to help them. Which is why when I saw the call from Restless Development for Positive Masculinity Champions, I decided to step forward. I wanted to help change how young men in my community understand masculinity. I wanted to show that it can include empathy, respect, and responsibility.
As a Positive Masculinity Champion, my work in Nepal has focused on creating spaces where these conversations can happen openly. I started these conversations in my everyday moments, beginning with the people around me. I spoke with my friends about how we were raised to think about masculinity. I sat with my family and opened conversations about respect, equality, and how we treat women in our homes. These conversations were not always easy, but they created reflection. One of my friends later told me it was the first time he had spoken openly about his emotions. Moments like this show how change begins.
With my team, I helped develop a local action plan for Madhesh to take these conversations further. During occasions like International Women’s Day (opens in a new tab), I shared messages in my community and online about what it means to be a young man today.
We also used traditional media to reach wider audiences. We recorded a radio jingle that is now broadcast on local stations in Nepali and Maithili, reaching thousands of listeners each day. It invites them to think differently about what it means to be a man. But the impact is not in one activity alone. It is in how these efforts connect. Conversations at home, discussions among friends, and messages shared through media are all part of the same change. Each conversation creates a ripple. One person reflects, then speaks to another, and the message continues to spread.
I also facilitated a Global Youth Hack together with other Positive Masculinity Champions, where I connected with young people from different countries. We shared our experiences and challenged the same stereotypes in different contexts. I saw clearly that these issues cross borders. I also saw that young people are ready to lead change when they are given the space and trust to do it.
Some parts of this journey tested us. During the election period, we could not run community activities as planned due to safeguarding concerns. We adapted quickly. We shifted to digital campaigns and used media to keep the message alive. This shift expanded our reach and showed us new ways to engage young people.
What I have learned is that change begins with small conversations. When one young man feels safe enough to speak his truth, it creates a shift. When groups begin to talk about respect and equality, that shift grows into a movement. My time as a champion has given me the tools to turn these conversations into real, systemic change. I continue this work because I see the evidence. I see young men questioning the norms that once held them back. I see relationships built on respect and communities that are becoming truly inclusive.
This is the future I am committed to building.
Join the movement and see how young people are redefining masculinity in their communities through our initiative, What it Means to Be a Young Man Today. This work is part of the British Council’s Youth Connect programme. Youth Connect supports young people to develop the skills, inspiration and connections to tackle major challenges that affect us all.
