Global activism is marked with inspirational figures aplenty, but standing out amidst them are fierce young girls who are leading the charge. Vocalizing their passion and articulating the deep-entrenched inequality they experience, India’s young girls are not shying away from demanding change. Right from climate advocacy to education equality, India’s young girls are leading the way, urging us to honor their grit on the occasion of Girl Child Day.
With a hat tip to the previous part, let’s dig into part II of young girls leading the way for their rights in India.
1. Eiha Dixit
Eiha Dixit, one of India's youngest environmental activists, began her journey at the tender age of five when she planted 1008 saplings! With the Green Eiha Smile Club and Eiha Plant Bank, the
ecowarrior leads tree-planting drives, organizes awareness campaigns, and distributes plants for free. Her work emphasizes the importance of youth involvement in environmental conservation, inspiring peers and adults alike.
2. Nitya Rathi – Rebel Girls
Co-founder of Rebel Girls, Nitya Rathi is a teenage activist dedicated to the advocacy of gender equality and women’s rights. With her brother, Kartikeya, she established a youth-led mentoring platform that caters to children and adolescents between the age of 10 to 17 years. The goal of their innovative platform is to inspire action in children through interactions with high-achieving women—the rebels! While the first session of Rebel Girls began as a small group of 15-20 children meeting in a room; today, it is a veritable global programme partnered with schools and organizations, conducting meaningful sessions for children.
3. Priyanka Bairwa
Priyanka was a teen when the pandemic set foot in India. In tune with rising child marriages in the country, Priyanka’s parents too sought to get her married. Not only did the firebrand resist their motives, she initiated the Rajasthan Rising Movement. What began as a channel for Priyanka’s angst against unfair social norms, took her village and neighbouring districts by storm. The grassroots movement has grown to gain alliance from thousands of girls and Rajasthan’s leaders.
4. Sheen Tyagi
Sheen Tyagi is a youth leader and changemaker from India, recognized globally for her advocacy on women's rights and climate action. As a United Nations Foundation Young Climate Advocate, she has played a crucial role in highlighting the intersection of climate change and gender equality. Sheen has presented research on climate finance accessibility and launched impactful reports at international forums like COP28. Her work, recognized by multiple global organizations, exemplifies her dedication to creating sustainable development and empowering young voices, especially in South Asia.
Hailing from the Banjara community of Rajasthan, Tara is a child-labor-survivor-turned activist. She was only four when her parents put her to clean garbage and rubble out of potholes in Nemdi. Having been rescued at the age of eight, Tara pledged never to return to that life and to not let any other child slip in it either. Tara’s work in preventing child marriages and leading more girls from her community to pursue education has garnered accolades and global appreciation.
A witness to the immense potential harbored within scores of young girls, Railway Children India leaves no stone unturned to facilitate a platform where they can hone their skills. One such platform is the Adolescent Girls Group, a coalition blossoming in 7 communities across Delhi and Ghaziabad, where girls get together to discuss, learn, and grow.
Right from learning about menstrual hygiene management to stopping child marriages in the community, girls in the group are making brilliant use of RCI’s mentorship and guidance to create a sustainable world for themselves where they observe, report, decode, and solve myriad issues around them. It won’t be a surprise to find a firebrand community leader from the crop making headlines in the next edition of Young Girls Leading the Way for their Rights in India.
