An average of 50% of our students in the Khelaghar schools comprises girl children (Raghunathpur-52.7%, Joynagar-56%, Bhagawatipur-45.5%), thereby providing equal access to education to both girls and boys.

Having female teachers, building separate toilets for girls and creating a safe and secure environment in the school have all helped in the enrolment and retention of girl students.

Advocacy for girls’ education has taken the form of a campaign in our project areas.

YMWS produced a short film ‘SHEI MEYE’ (The Girl) to highlight the problem of child marriage which affects girls in particular. Shot in the remote villages of South 24 Parganas where child marriage is widely prevalent, the film has been shown to rural audiences to raise awareness about how child marriage denies girls their fundamental rights to health and education.