ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2021
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. In 2021, over 25,000 young leaders on 2,000+ campuses across 153 nations applied to join the Class of 2021. 136 campuses worldwide (just 6%) were selected to host the 2,000+ Millennium Fellows. The Class of 2021 is bold, innovative, and inclusive.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT VARSHA GOPAL, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2021.
Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Chennai, India | Advancing SDG 5 & UNAI 6
" Sexual harassment can be verbal, mental, psychological, and physical. It is a highly prevalent phenomenon that disproportionately affects women and gender and sexual minorities. It leaves long-lasting impacts on one’s physical, emotional, and mental being. Moreover, the conversation around the topic is
often stifled and takes the form of victim-blaming. With our project, SMASH, we aim to lead a campus-wide (IIT Madras) movement to de-stigmatize the conversation on this subject and therefore, to foreground the voices that
have been suppressed in myriad ways so far. We hope to create avenues for the expression of various perspectives, life experiences, and platforms for breaking stereotypes. The project aims to further the creation of a safe, gender-
inclusive society (SDG 5) that advocates a commitment to human rights (UNAI 6). "
Millennium Fellowship Project: SMASH - Students' Movement Against Sexual Harassment
SMASH (Students' Movement Against Sexual Harassment) is an initiative to sensitize people and destigmatise the conversation and discussions around sexual harrassment. The overall goal is to create a safe, gender inclusive society as an effort to further the SDG 5 on Gender Equality and as a commitment to human rights (UNAI 6).
About the Millennium Fellow
Varsha Gopal is pursuing her Master’s in Development Studies at IIT-Madras. Her research interests lie at the intersection of gender, sexuality and labour studies.
