International day of the girl child: turning vision into action for gender equality

According to the Female Labour Utilisation in India report published by the Ministry of Labour and Employment (2023), the female labour force participation rate has increased from 23. 3% (2017-18) to 32.7% (2021-22).

United Nations has marked October 11th 2024 as the International Day of the Girl Child. This year's theme is 'Girls' vision for the future'. The theme conveys both the need for urgent action and persistent hope, driven by the power of girls' voices and vision for the future. At the recent UN Summit of the Future, the need for multilateral, intersectional, and intergenerational dialogue to make the world more equitable was emphasized. Gender equality remains central to this vision. But to truly transform India into a place where girls and women can thrive, we need to create actionable plans that break down structural inequalities, ensure girls have access to opportunities, and support them every step of the way. To mark the importance of this day for empowering girls and women and a call to action in India, Neha Parti Director for the Schools Program at Quest Alliance, a non-profit that works in the education and skilling sector spoke to indiatoday.in .

"How did you convince your parents to let you study outside your village? How did you negotiate with your in-laws to let you work?" a class nine student from a government school in Bihar asked a female locomotive pilot during a role model interaction. Her questions cut to the heart of a challenge many girls face in India: the struggle to pursue dreams while navigating societal constraints.

A 20-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh, after playing a career decision-making game called Career Quest, reflects, "While playing, it showed me opportunities I never knew I had." This insight reveals the unseen barriers that limit girls' aspirations in India.In Chennai, a young woman pursuing aeronautical engineering at her dream college dropped out due to harassment and safety concerns. Meanwhile, a 30-year-old Olympic medal-winning wrestler, despite her achievements, gave up her career after her sexual harassment complaints were ignored. These examples reflect the hurdles women have to overcome to realize their potential.

With government focus on accelerating Women-led-development, there has been improvement in female participation in the workforce. According to the Female Labour Utilization in India report published by the Ministry of Labour and Employment (2023), the female labor force participation rate has increased from 23. 3% (2017-18) to 32.7% (2021-22). However, when compared to global average of 47%, it requires a lot more effort by all stakeholders including development partners and private sectors to create a supportive environment for increased participation of women in economic activities. We need to look at the existing contextual barriers like cultural, societal, and financial, especially for girls from economically marginalized communities from a renewed perspective.
Patriarchy and Power Imbalance

The root of these challenges stems from India's patriarchal system, where successful working women are often perceived as exceptions rather than the norm. This system dictates gender roles and fosters power imbalances that curtail the women's access to public spaces and career opportunities. The added burden of linking the woman's honor to the family's dignity, begs for a shift in mindset and safer public spaces that will expand their freedom of movement.
To shift this narrative, we must start early, adopting a multi-pronged approach that works at various levels: individual, family, community, school, career, and policy.

Early Interventions for Girls
Educating girls and boys to view each other as equals, deserving the same opportunities is the first step towards breaking gender stereotypes early on. To enable this schools should include critical life skills sessions to help students (especially girls) negotiate, choose, and overcome societal challenges.

Engaging Families
The task of convincing parents that their daughter's sole destiny isn't marriage will become easier if parents are involved in the child's educational experience. For example, involving parents in tech-based hackathons with their daughters led many to realize the potential of their girls, reinforcing the idea that only with their support can these young women progress academically. Though such interventions plant the seed of change, only a shift in fundamental beliefs around gender expectations can bring about large-scale change in a community.

Community-Level Change
Communities are often the reason parents restrict their daughters' futures, driven by fears about reputational damage. To counter this, it's essential to create new narratives around jobs that aren't conventionally taken up by women. For instance, Initiatives like the Non-Traditional Livelihood Network and the Driver Ben Program led by organizations like Janvikas and Azad Foundation, target women from marginalized communities and help women learn driving. In Ahmedabad, six women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds trained as commercial truck drivers in Hungary, increasing their income tenfold. These women's achievements created new possibilities for themselves and for their communities. We need more such stories to inspire lasting change.

Media and Popular Culture
The media plays a huge role in shaping society's views of women. Films like Dangal and Gunjan Saxena have influenced public perceptions of women's capabilities, but such examples are rare compared to the pervasive male-centric narratives in Indian cinema. The box office performance of movies like Animal (398 crore in 9 days) compared to Dangal (387 crore over its full run) or Lapata Ladies (6.05 crore in its first week) highlights how far we still have to go to shift audience preferences toward stories that celebrate empowered women.

Gender-Equitable Schools
Schools must become places where gender equality is practiced. Yet, when teachers were asked about career options suitable for girls during a Quest Alliance study on STEM mindsets, they suggested fields like B.Ed., fashion designing, and home science, whereas no such restrictions were placed on boys. In many schools, it's common for girls to serve tea and perform welcome songs for guests, reinforcing traditional gender roles. These practices must change for schools to facilitate both girls and boys pursue any career path.

Access to Careers
Girls and women need access to career exploration opportunities, which include career information, real-world exposure, and internships. Yet, according to findings by Quest Alliance, only 57% of girls are willing to pursue a career in science and technology, compared to 85% of boys. The vocational education system shows similar disparities, with women making up just 4.3% of enrollments in engineering trades but 54.7% in non-engineering fields. With a shift towards an AI driven digital economy it is important that women have access to the new age opportunities that are opening up. Karya, a tech based start up employs 60% women to make them a part of the mainstream by providing digital dignified work at competitive market wages.

Policy-Level Interventions
Supportive policies are essential. India has progressive policies like maternity benefits and entrepreneurship support for women, but they need proper implementation with adequate resource allocation and clear action plans. Starting from school, curricula must challenge gender norms. Financial support must be made available for higher education, hostels, and travel allowances to ensure girls can pursue their dreams without fear.
Action for the future

At the recent UN Summit of the Future, the need for multilateral, intersectional, and intergenerational dialogue to make the world more equitable was emphasized. Gender equality remains central to this vision. But to truly transform India into a place where girls and women can thrive, we need to create actionable plans that break down structural inequalities, ensure girls have access to opportunities, and support them every step of the way. Only then can we build a future where young girls, like the one from Bihar, no longer have to ask, "How did you convince your parents to let you study outside?" but instead proudly follow their dreams. Neha Parti is the Director for the Schools Program at Quest Alliance, a non-profit that works in the education and skilling sector