Empower and educate a girl through Girl Icon Fellowship

The status of girls and women in India, especially those from vulnerable and marginalized communities, is in a dismal state.

According to Dasra report, it is estimated that for every 100 girls that enroll in school in rural India, 40 will reach grade four, 18 will reach grade eight, 9 will reach grade ten, and only 1 will make it to grade twelve. With over 87.5 million girls attending school in India, it is imperative that adolescent girls are provided extra support to mitigate barriers that lead to this alarming drop-out rate.

Ensuring education for girls is a catalyst that enables women to become agents of social change, development and economic growth.

Due to this high impact, Milaan focuses on educating adolescent girls from marginalized communities in India as the cornerstone of our programming.

Each Girl Icon Fellow will participate in a 2 year program aimed at transforming them into dynamic leaders that will catalyse change within their community.

The Fellowship will include direct training specifically designed to support their academic and professional goal planning, gender equality, leadership development and social change projects.

Fellows will also receive lasting community support from other fellows and mentors. Each Fellowship includes a Social Change Grant to create an impact in their communities and Learning Grant to assist in them pursing better education opportunities.

By investing in girl child education, community activism, and leadership skills, we will create the next generation of leaders with the potential to implement lasting social change.

Building a network of Milaan Girl Icon Fellows will create an amplified effect as our fellows pursue their goals in their home or surrounding communities, taking with them the skills and tools to be effective change makers. The Girl Icon Fellowship is the catalyst to maximize our organization’s impact and leverage the impact our beneficiaries have in society.

The barriers in society for girls are complex and interrelated. Using a variety of interventions and activities, the Girl Icon Fellowship will empower girls to better navigate these social barriers and advocate for lasting change for their generation.