Sana, is all of 12 years old. She is young, brave, ambitious and full of dreams. But like many girls her age, she’s not very optimistic about her future. Throughout her life, there will be many issues which she will encounter, like her education:
Only 59.3% females (15 yrs >) are literate*
If she’s able to complete her education, after resisting being forced to work or married off, it will be hard for her to get a job, as:
Workforce Participation Rate for females in India is just 25.51%*
In regards to decisions that affect her life, she doesn’t have much say about that either, as:
Only 12% of the total members in the Lok Sabha are women (64 out of 534)*
*Source: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
Sana knows she’s capable of so much more if only she had the opportunities. Girls like her have so much potential. A study done in 2014 as part of the State of the Girl Child Report suggests:
- If 10% more girls go to school, the National GDP will increase by 3%
- If a girl finishes high school, her marriage is delayed by 4.4 years (State of the Girl Child Report)
- If adolescent pregnancy was delayed in India, it would add $767 billion in potential lifetime income
Plan India’s Work on Girls’ Rights
Sana and other girls like her continue to be a critically marginalised section of society simply because they are young and female. They are often denied their right to education, engage actively and equally in society, take important decisions about their future and their physical body and protection from gender based violence.
As part of its efforts to positively change the situation which girls like Sana find themselves in, Plan India works towards a youth-led global movement for girl’s rights through the economic, political and social empowerment of girls and young women.
Through projects like Let Girls Be Born,Digital Learning Centres, Girls Advocacy Alliance and Saksham, Plan India ensures that a girl gets the best possible support in every phase of her life, from the day she is born till the day she becomes a mother. This approach helps Plan India attain its goal of reaching 10 million girls by 2020 and ensure each one of them have been provided the opportunity Learn, Lead, Decide and Thrive.
International Day of the Girl 2018
International Day of the Girl, October 11, is a UN-declared international observance day to support greater opportunities for girls and awareness of gender discrimination they endure worldwide.
It can be a big day for Sana because she can be the leader of her Panchayat, she could take over as the CEO of a big cooperation or become an Ambassador at an Embassy for a day.
Since 2012, Plan India has always given significant importance to International Day of the Girl by engaging girls in activities that showcase their true potential.
And this Oct 11 too, girls from Plan India’s communities will step into the shoes of influential leaders and change-makers across the country and walk the proverbial mile in a series of takeovers.
Together with a host of multi-sectoral partners, the takeovers will make girls more visible and drive new opportunities for action and investment in them. This will go a long way towards our girls’ rights movement: to ensure girls everywhere learn, lead, decide and thrive.
Why Takeovers?
Takeovers can help raise awareness, begin a meaningful process with stakeholders and create lasting change. In other words, we hope to:
- Showcase the potential of girls on a national level
- Partner with key decision makers and influential target groups, partners and stakeholders so they can support our movement for girls’ rights
- Engage young people through a meaningful and empowering process
Join the #GirlsTakeover campaign by supporting us on social media
To partner with us on the campaign, write to Pinky Pradhan, Director – Marketing and Communications (pinky.pradhan@planindia.org)
You can also show your support by donating to one of Plan India’s programme, click here