By Debadutta Dash | President, Sukarya USA
Rajnandini, an 18-year-old Class 12 student at Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Ghitorni, Delhi, belongs to a traditional family where girls’ mobility and choices are often restricted. Growing up, she frequently experienced emotional stress due to ongoing family conflicts and deep-rooted societal expectations. Simple freedoms such as going out independently were limited, and pressure around early marriage loomed over her future. In her community, gender inequality was normalized, with girls often being treated differently and given fewer opportunities than boys.
Despite these challenges, Rajnandini’s life took a meaningful turn when she enrolled in Sukarya’s Gender Equality Program at her school. Through engaging and interactive sessions, she was introduced to concepts of gender equality, constitutional rights, and the importance of speaking up against discrimination and injustice. These sessions became a turning point, helping her find her voice and rebuild her confidence.
What made her transformation even more powerful was her decision to involve her mother in conversations facilitated by Sukarya. This gradually helped open channels of understanding within her family and created a supportive environment for change at home.
Today, Rajnandini stands taller in her confidence and clarity. She actively speaks out against early marriage, encourages girls in her community to continue their education, and advocates for independence and equal opportunities. From a girl once constrained by silence and restrictions, she is now emerging as a strong voice of change—determined to inspire others and become a role model for her peers and community,
Highlights of this Period -Events for Awareness
1. World Mental Health Day – 10th October 2025
World Mental Health Day is observed to raise awareness about mental health issues and promote emotional well-being for all. On this day, we organized an awareness session for 48 girls in the community, during which they learned about stress management, sharing feelings, and the importance of seeking help.
2. International Human Rights Day – 10th December
This day promotes awareness of fundamental human rights and equality for all individuals worldwide. On this day, we organized an awareness session with one batch of 50 girls to educate them about their rights and dignity.
3. Human Trafficking Awareness Day – 30th July
This day highlights the issue of human trafficking and the need to protect vulnerable populations, especially women and children. We conducted an awareness session with one batch of 48 girls, focusing on safety, prevention, and reporting mechanisms.
4. Republic Day – 26th January
Republic Day marks the adoption of the Constitution of India and celebrates the country’s democratic values. We organized an awareness session with one batch of 55 girls, emphasizing rights, duties, and the importance of citizenship.
5. National Girl Child Day – 24th January
This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the rights, education, and empowerment of the girl child in India. An awareness session was conducted with one batch of 51 girls to promote gender equality and the importance of education.
6. International Women's Day – 8th March
This day celebrates women’s achievements and promotes gender equality and women’s rights globally. We organized an awareness session with one batch of 45 girls, encouraging leadership, confidence, and empowerment.
7. Lead Girls' training session
Conducted training sessions with 11 lead girls: - Role and responsibilities of leaders, social threats, POCSO Act, with a reality-based example.
Project Progress: -September 2025-March 2026
Total Number of communities identified for intervening in the Gender Project - 2
Total number of schools identified for the Gender Project - 2
Total no. of batches formed during the period - 8
No. of batches formed across the schools - 5
No. of trainings conducted at the Govt. Schools -19
No. of participants attended the training sessions at Govt. schools: - 875
No. of batches operated across the communities - 3
No. of Trainings conducted at Communities -17
Total no. of Participants attended the training sessions at communities - 664
Total no. of Participants attended the training sessions across the schools and communities- 1539
Total no. of regular participants who attended the session across community batches - 117
Total no. of regular participants who attended the session across school batches - 230
No. of Parents orientation sessions held during the period at the community - 4
Total no. of Parents Participants attended the Orientation sessions in communities - 44
No. of teachers’ orientation sessions held during the period at schools 12
Total no. of Teachers Participants attended the Orientation sessions in Schools - 24
No. of lead girls identified and developed across the batches - 11
No. of orientation and capacity building sessions held with lead girls - 6
No. A total of lead girls participated in the orientation and capacity session during this period - 11
No. of meetings held with school authorities for permission to conduct training - 26
No. of Community meetings and situational analysis done to prepare batch across the community - 32
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