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Meet gritty girls who are out to prove their mettle
As the country celebrates 75 years of Independence, we as a society are still a long way from achieving and cherishing gender equality
As the country celebrates 75 years of Independence, we as a society are still a long way from achieving and cherishing gender equality. Despite all odds, some women continue to break the glass ceiling every now and then.
Here are stories of some brave young girls who went against the societal norms to not only establish themselves, but also help others and support their own families.
Story of 12-year-old Vanshika Tripathi is simply incredible. Although this minor girl is a native of Nav Nirman Kushth Ashram, a slum in Prayagraj, for the children of her slum, she is a teacher. She donned the mantle of a teacher during the pandemic when the schools were closed and the children of her slums had nothing much to do.
“I gathered the children of my slums and started teaching them. We would have classes everyday so that they continued learning,” says Vanshika, who goes to Jwala Devi Saraswati Vidya Mandir Inter College, Civil Lines, Prayagraj.
Her father works at a shop while her mother works for a local NGO. But when Vanshika started this initiative with all the school dropouts of her slum, her family was very supportive.
“My father would get pencils, erasers, chalk and basic stationery to help me continue my work,” says Vanshika, who is in class 8 and want to become a police officer.
Vanshika’s efforts were identified by an NGO working in the slum. They also helped her and provided her blackboard and created a small class room setting for the little teacher.
Another girl Jyoti’s parents are daily wage labourers. Thus, when Jyoti was only 15 years old, they decided to marry her off following pressure from relatives and family. But she was studying and had dreams for her future. She convinced her mother to allow her to study and explained her the consequences of child marriage.
“We are three sisters. My elder sister got married at an early age and my parents wanted to arrange my marriage too. But I wanted to study. Thankfully my mother was able to understand the situation and she convinced my father to allow me to study and not marry me off before the right age,” she says.
Jyoti, because of her education, was aware that if a young girl is married before the right age, she has to undergo physical and psychological issues. “Child marriage leads to early pregnancy, and it has a very bad impact on the girl’s health. A child bride is not allowed to study and complete her education and thus she is always dependent on others,” says Jyoti.
Likewise, for the society at large, she may just be a college girl. But for her family, she is a strong pillar of support. Sweety Gautam, 19, a native of Poorvadeen Khera slum in Para area of Lucknow is the eldest among five siblings. She was pursuing her intermediate when the pandemic started and changed everything. Her father, who depended on daily wages, had no means of income left and mother was a housewife.
While the family was struggling to manage two square meals a day during the pandemic, ensuring education for the children of the family was next to impossible. But, Sweety went the extra mile to support her family.
She started working at a departmental store to make sure that the education of her siblings wasn’t affected.
“After completing my intermediate, I wanted to take admission in college. But, we had no money. Since I had completed my class 12, I thought it was time to focus on the education of my younger brothers and sisters. I started working and supported their education through my salary,” she says.
Her parents have gone to the village but Sweety is living with her siblings in Lucknow. She manages the house with her income and also ensures that the education of the siblings remains unaffected.
Amidst all this, the dream to continue with her education isn’t over. Sweety wants to complete her graduation and become a teacher. So, she is saving money for her admission too and intends to join college soon.
