14-year-old Simpi studies in 9th grade. Belonging to a rural village in Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh, she resides in a small house with her family, including her father, a farmer, her mother, a house maker and her three siblings. Simpi considers her father to be the catalyst that motivated her to join Milaan’s Girl Icon …
‘My life, Mere Faisle’ is an intervention designed and implemented by Pravah and its partners since 2015. This intervention looks at the issue of Early and Child Marriage through the psycho-social approach, enabling young people to take charge of one’s lives and decisions. Raju (name changed), 16 years old, Chandauli District, Uttar Pradesh A participant …
“I was hesitant to talk to elders in my village as I was insecure about my experiences and societal status. Girl Icon Program gave me the confidence to put forth my opinion with confidence.”- Varsha Soni A 20-year-old Girl Icon, Varsha hails from the village of Raahat in the district of Harda in Madhya Pradesh. …
‘My life, Mere Faisle’ is an intervention designed and implemented by Pravah and its partners since 2015. This intervention looks at the issue of Early and Child Marriage through the psycho-social approach, enabling young people to take charge of one’s lives and decisions. Monika (name changed), 17 years old, Varanasi district, Uttar Pradesh Monika is …
Soumya, a 14-year-old Girl Icon, lives and studies in Kalghattagi, Dharwad, which is a remote village in Karnataka. She belongs to a community where taboos around menstruation are profound. A vast majority of 12 to 15-year-old girls are enrolled in primary school, but once they reach puberty, something distressing happens. The majority of girls drop …
Girl Icon Anju hails from Jamasindh village in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. Both her parents work as farmers on other’s lands. Earnings in the family also come from rearing and selling goats during festivals, especially festivals like Diwali. The cost per goat goes up to INR 4,000 – 6,000, depending on their weight. Anju belongs to …
Take the First Step: Story of an Aspiring IPS Officer Read More »
Breaking the cocoon of patriarchy and gendered attitudes, our courageous Girl Icon, Roshni is fighting to bring about change in society. Currently, a second-year student, pursuing her Bachelor’s in Science, this young rebel believes education is the only tool to empower everyone. Read on for Roshni’s Story! An 18-year-old girl, Roshni comes from a small …
As a part of the #CelebrateGirls campaign, Milaan is looking to examine and address barriers to education for adolescent girls. Leading up to our #CelebrateGirls Expert Consultation, we want to hear from you as we crowdsource ideas to address specific barriers to education. Today, we examine the barrier lack of infrastructure presents in educating girls. …
#CelebrateGirls: Infrastructural Barriers to Education Read More »
This past Wednesday, the Milaan office was bustling with activity. Having received nearly 2,000 applications from aspiring Girl Icons throughout Uttar Pradesh, the team was faced with the exciting challenge of selecting the most promising girl leaders to be awarded the Girl Icon Fellowship in October. To support the selection process, the team brought together …
The following is an opinion piece by Swarachna School leadership team member: Akshay Shetty. It relates to Akshay’s experiences working in the school and relating world issues to students from rural backgrounds. Temperatures in Sitapur have been nose-diving into single digits steadily and our wonderful students are having a tough time riding their bicycles through …
Brianne Bustos is a seasoned IT executive with over two decades of experience driving enterprise technology transformations, cybersecurity initiatives, and strategic IT planning. She has a strong track record of leading high-impact projects within private equity-backed firms, professional services, and infrastructure-heavy industries, aligning technology investments with business growth. Passionate about innovation, cybersecurity governance, and AI-driven solutions, Brianne excels in building resilient digital ecosystems that enhance operational efficiency and scalability.
Beyond her professional expertise, Brianne is an advocate for outdoor adventure and community-building. She founded an Outdoor Adventure Group for women, fostering empowerment, connection, and exploration in nature through activities like skiing, mountain biking, and backcountry excursions.
"I deeply believe in the power of education and community in challenging gender stereotypes and providing autonomy. Milaan's grassroots efforts to empower young women are inspiring and impactful. It is a privilege to be part of the team. "
Bela is a seasoned leader serving as the Chief Client Relationship Officer at Goodwin, a global law firm that advises the innovators and investors operating in some of the world’s most transformative areas. Prior to that, Prior to joining Goodwin, she spent 25 years at Deloitte working alongside diverse group of senior stakeholders to solve their most complex business challenges, including go-to-market transformations, operational excellence, as well as large-scale change. She also served as an advisor to Vidya Grants, a non-profit organization focused on education ecosystem in India.
