THE girl child is one of the most disadvantaged groups of people in India. We have created societies across the world that place girls and women at a distinct disadvantage, compared to boys and men. Rather than celebrating the differences between males and females, these differences are often hierarchized. As a result, this causes us to further discriminate against girls such as by demanding a dowry or aborting a female fetus. On the issue of female foeticide and infanticide, the discrimination against girls is so prominent that it has skewed the male-female gender ratio in India and prompted legislation against in-utero sex determination tests.
Centuries of discrimination against girls and women have led to the perceived “lesser” worth of a female as evidenced by the high rate of crimes against girls and women and the lack of legislation and law enforcement to prevent such wrongdoings. But more than that, the societal attitudes against women, such as the stigma against menstruation, is what keeps the girl child stifled in societies where she should be free to access all the rights of a human being. The 10 NGOs below all address different aspects of discrimination against the girl child and have implemented effective interventions to prevent, reduce and ultimately end the bias against girls and women across India.
Here are 10 NGOs saving the girl child in India:
Guria: saving trafficked girls
The victims of abductions and kidnappings for the purpose of sex trafficking are mainly girls – including minors. Often snatched from their families, these girls are too young to understand what sexual abuse is, but it still happens to them. Sold into brothels, these girls are raped, beaten, kicked, punched and treated no better than objects. Guria is a Varanasi-based NGO that rescues girls from red light districts and gives them shelter, food, medical care, counseling and rehabilitation. Founded in 1993, Guria has also conducted raids into illegal brothels and prosecuted traffickers and rescued 5,500 girls from forced prostitution. To support Guria:
Blind Welfare Society: saving blind girls
Girls with disabilities such as blindness are denied opportunities such as education or employment and are thus forced to live deprived of their rights. Without the means to help themselves, girls with visual impairments are often mistreated and exploited into dangerous acts such as begging. Blind Welfare Society takes these girls in, gives them a home and enrolls them in school. In many cases, the girls have been abandoned by their own families, so the Delhi-based NGO offers counseling and a place to call home from where they begin to build futures to help them live independent and fulfilled lives. To support Blind Welfare Society:
Sant Ishwar Foundation: saving abandoned girls
When Colonel Mickie Uberoi retired from the Indian Army, he decided to spend the rest of his life caring for the most vulnerable people in India: the abandoned girl child who is in danger of abuse and exploitation on the streets. His fellow servicemen joined him on this mission and founded Sant Ishwar Foundation. Based in Pune, this organization runs a home for abandoned girls where the girls can sleep without fear, eat regular meals, get medical care and enjoy their childhoods filled with laughter, sports, arts and games. For the first time in their lives, the girls have dreams of the future and can step toward them with hope. To support Sant Ishwar Foundation:
Support Sant Ishwar Foundation
Inchara Foundation: saving sexually abused girls
Sexual abuse often leaves deep and unnoticeable scars that impacts one’s thoughts, behavior, relationships, futures and entire lives. For a child victim of sexual abuse, the impact is often debilitating and impossible to overcome without help and guidance. Inchara Foundation is a Mangalore-based NGO that provides a safe home for girls who are victims of rape and sexual assault. The heart of the organization’s rehabilitation efforts include counseling which is the key to helping girls overcome the crime that has happened to them and rebuild their lives with nutritious meals, education and rehabilitation. To support Inchara Foundation:
Pinkishe Foundation: saving girls affected by period poverty
Menstruation is one of the most normal and natural processes of the human body. But there is such a negative view on menstruation that when a girl gets her period, she is scared and hides because it is considered a “sin”. For the underprivileged girl child who cannot afford or access sanitary pads, she is forced to use leaves, rags, hay and even cow dung but this causes severe health complications, diseases and even death. Pinkishe Foundation has distributed 3,450,000+ free sanitary products to girls and conducted 2,000+ workshops among local communities to educate people about menstruation and break the stigma. To support Pinkishe Foundation:
Brave Souls: saving girls affected by acid attacks
When the rights and decisions of girls are not respected, criminals seek to harm them through acid attacks which cause extreme pain, disfigure their faces and require multiple surgeries. For reasons as simple as rejecting a marriage proposal, the lives of girls are changed forever while the perpetrators are either free or imprisoned for a short time. But for girls who cannot afford care, their lives deteriorate. Brave Souls has arranged 200 reconstructive surgeries, compensation for 150+ victims and has pursued 50+ legal cases without a single acquittal, helping girls overcome the attack and hold their heads up high. To support Brave Souls:
TERDS: saving abducted tribal girls
In remote and tribal areas, girls are often the target of traffickers. Even though Araku Valley is considered a scenic tourist destination, there are cases of abductions and sexual exploitation of tribal girls. Tribal Educational Rural Development Society or TERDS realized that orphaned tribal girls are at even greater risk of kidnappings and trafficking. Criminals take advantage of orphaned girls, but TERDS steps in to keep them safe before traffickers reach them. The NGO runs a safe home in Vishakapatnam and offers the girls nutritious food, education, childhood activities and a full life. To support TERDS:
Children of India: saving Devadasi-dedicated girls
The Devadasi system is a banned practice that has been outlawed across India. But even to the present day, people force the girl child into prostitution under the guise of this ancient practice. These girls are sold into prostitution by their own mothers, who were also exploited by the banned Devadasi system. Children of India Foundation rescues girls who are forced into brothels and offers education, skills training and safe and secure employment. The Bangalore-based NGO also runs Kishori Clubs, which trains girls to spot the signs of Devadasi dedications and alert the local police and authorities to stop it. To support Children of India Foundation:
Support Children of India Foundation
Vacha Charitable Trust saving girls in slums
In impoverished slum areas called bastis, girls from poor communities lack access to the most basic need: nutritious food. This leads to hunger, malnutrition and a decline in health. It also means that girls do not have the mental or physical strength to go to school or learn valuable skills. Vacha Charitable Trust in Mumbai runs a health program that serves daily nutritious meals and skills training in English, communication, computers and other skills that allow them to gain employment in the future. By improving the health and future job prospects of the girl child, the NGO improves their lives and futures. To support Vacha Charitable Trust:
Support Vacha Charitable Trust
Anvarat Foundation saving girls education
Education is one of the areas that the girl child is most disadvantaged. Because of various reasons fueled by gender based discrimination, girls are forced to drop out of school and are denied an education. Once out of school, they are at greater risk of becoming victims of child marriage, child labor or domestic violence. Anvarat Foundation is a Lucknow-based NGO that runs Project Surbhi to empower rural girls through education, skill development training, health, hygiene, nutrition and self-defense. The program will help the girls build their confidence, realize their potential and equip them to build stronger futures. To support Anvarat Foundation:
YOU can save the girl child in India
Your support to these NGOs can mean the difference between prosperity or struggle for millions of girls across the country. This International Day of the Girl Child, make a pledge to uplift and empower the girl child in India and give her the opportunity to build strong futures.
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Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.
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