Girl power

In India, "A girl is perceived as an object and a liability. This perception makes her more susceptible to social evils like sexual assault, harassment, domestic violence, rape... Invariably, the blame falls on the girl," says Jesleen Kher, Gender and Development Specialist, World Vision India.  

World Vision combats this by forming action groups for girls, like this one in Delhi, to work together on changing their community's beliefs.

One of the members describes what it means to her: "We have learnt that there is more to a girl’s life than to just sit at home aimlessly. Being part of this group has given us the courage to follow our dreams. It has also given us a platform to share our problems with one another so that we can find solutions for them."

Photos by Annila Harris.