Keep Girls in School & End Child Marriage in Pune

In a small village in western India, something powerful began with a group of girls who decided they no longer wanted to stay silent about dowry violence. These 15 young girls had grown up surrounded by traditions that felt too big to question. With guidance from our locally led partner, they joined a girls' leadership group and workshops where they could talk openly about rights, equality, and gender-based violence. For many of them, it was the first time they felt their voices truly mattered.

As their confidence grew, so did their courage. The girls later stood in front of a large community gathering and performed a street play about dowry deaths. Through their acting, they showed the emotional toll and injustice faced by young women trapped in the dowry system. The performance was honest and deeply moving. Many in the audience recognised their own fears and lived experiences reflected back at them.

The impact reached far beyond the performance itself. Community leaders publicly spoke about rejecting dowry practices and encouraging others to do the same. For the girls, this moment was more than recognition. It showed them that their voices could spark conversations that adults had avoided for years.

Today, these young leaders continue to speak up in their village. They run awareness sessions, encourage other girls to ask difficult questions and gently challenge harmful norms. One girl shared, “Our confidence has grown so much. Now we can speak fearlessly about social issues and ask for change.”

What is unfolding in this village is simple but meaningful. When girls are given safe spaces, trust and encouragement, they step forward with clarity and compassion. Their voices do more than raise awareness. They help communities imagine fairer, kinder ways of living together that promotes lasting gender-equality.

Thank you.