Keep Girls in School & End Child Marriage in Pune

What is a Balpanchayat? 

 
Our last report featured Priya’s heroic journey. Her hearing impairment and struggling self-confidence led to her withdraw from school. 

Thankfully, through engagement with this project’s activities, Priya built her confidence and is now thriving at school. 

One of the activities that helped Priya the most, was her attendance at the Balpanchayat. But, what is that and how could it help a young girl like Priya grow her confidence and engage with her education? 

A Balpanchayat is a children’s parliament. Whilst its purpose is to help children grow their confidence, the way it works is quite incredible and profound. 

Children of all ages within the village take on roles within the child parliament. Each role has a purpose – to tackle issues facing children of the village. 

So, there is a minister for education, a minister for safety, a minister for gender equality and of course a minister for play! 

They tackle real issues, that mean something to the children on a personal level.

Take for example, when one of their friends may be excluded from school to help with chores at home. 

The parliament meets. The problem is presented and a plan is built.  

In one village, a 13-year-old girl was withdrawn from school by her mother, whilst her older brother was kept in school. The parliament heard that the mother didn’t believe education was necessary for her daughter. 

Representatives of the parliament presented to the mother, that a girl’s education is equally important as a boys’ – and if her daughter was educated there was more chance of the mother being supported in later life.

That girl is now back in school. 

Just imagine that. The children of the village, seeing a problem and thinking of how they might resolve it – and acting. How might that help their confidence and their journey into adulthood? 

Thank you for supporting children to engage in their Balpanchayat, grow their confidence and make positive change.