Anita’s voice has been amplified through our partner in the #CelebrateGirls campaign, Bharat Calling, which encourages rural students who are being left behind due to financial, social, or cultural reasons on the path to higher education. The #CelebrateGirls campaign aims to highlight and amplify voices to collectively address barriers to education for adolescent girls.
In a family of seven siblings who did not study after 10th grade, Anita’s life would have been like her siblings had it not been for her passion for making her life worthwhile. Not only is she the first member in the family but also the entire village to have pursued education beyond school. She is currently pursuing a PhD from Dr Hari Singh Gaur Central University in Madhya Pradesh, after having successfully finished B.Com and M.Com from the same institute.
Had it not been for higher education, Anita says, “I would have gotten married like other girls and would have been living my life according to someone else’s wish. But now I am free to make choices and live life on my terms.”
Anita’s journey hasn’t been an easy one. Her father denied her admission after 8th grade, but she tried and persuaded her mother to get her admission to a school in Kesla block of Hoshangabad district. Leaving these challenges behind, Anita happily says, “I feel good to be part of the university because here, I have access to resources like a library, the internet, etc.”
With no teacher to inspire her in school, Anita inspires herself. And we wish she becomes an inspiration for many such girls who are still bound by the shackles of discriminative social norms.
To lend your voice to the collective campaign of #CelebrateGirls, join us on October 8th at 4 pm IST and October 15th at 1 pm IST on Twitter (@SupportMilaan) and use the hashtag #CelebrateGirls to join the conversation on addressing barriers to education for girls.