A look at how Malala’s story has inspired girls in India

Screenings of HE NAMED ME MALALA in villages spark girls to stand up for their rights

Barriers to education for girls in India include early marriage, long distances to school, safety concerns and cost of education beyond grade 10, when school is no longer compulsory. Boys are also shown preferential treatment by being sent to low-cost private school, while girls are sent to public school. (Credit: Mustafa Quraishi / Malala Fund)

At 4.7 million, India leads G20 countries with the highest numbers of out-of-school girls in the world. The barriers to education are staggering as a result of early marriage, long distances to school, safety concerns, favoring boys and expensive school fees.

Malala Fund is determined to change the statistics. Over the past year, we worked with local partners in India to bring Malala’s story to more than 150,000 educators, girls and their family members living in the most vulnerable communities across the country. At workshops that included screenings of Davis Guggenheim’s HE NAMED ME MALALA, these girls learned how to stand up for their rights and demand lawmakers work to make education more accessible to girls.

After a screening, more than 150 girls took part in training programmes to learn essential leadership skills and how to advocate for their rights. By the end of their lessons, girls stood in front of parents, teachers and community leaders to speak bravely about the importance of 12 years of girls’ education. (Credit: Mustafa Quraishi / Malala Fund)

Workshops gave girls in Buxar, Bihar the skills they needed to launch their own enrollment campaign and go door-to-door to talk to parents in the village and encourage them to send to their daughters to school. Now, more than 12,000 villagers are engaged in a discussion around girls’ education and hundreds more girls are enrolled in school. At an event with policy makers, these girls expressed their desire to complete secondary school and why girls’ education is important for themselves and their communities. (Credit: Mustafa Quraishi / Malala Fund)

In New Dehli, India’s capital city Malala Fund worked with the National Coalition for Education (NCE) and Oxfam India to bring local and national leaders together for a discussion about the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment, 2016 and the status of girls’ education. Twenty incredible young women attended. For some of the girls, it was the first time leaving their village. They shared their stories; strongly and passionately making the case for compulsory girls’ education. (Credit: Mustafa Quraishi / Malala Fund)

It’s estimated that around 12 million children are working in India. Currently the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment, 2016 creates a loophole for children under 14 to work, keeping them out of school. Ritam, Ruhi and Preeti (pictured L to R) worked with local organisations to draft a charter asking the government to repeal the law so more girls can go to school instead of work. (Credit: Mustafa Quraishi / Malala Fund)

Their eyes transfixed, girls watch a Hindi version of HE NAMED ME MALALA in a school in Hussainpur Village in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Afterward, girls shared their desire to become teachers, engineers and doctors. They vowed to stay in school and fight for girls’ education as Malala does. They said, “We are all inspired to become like Malala and want all parents to make their daughters like Malala.” (Credit: Mustafa Quraishi / Malala Fund)

15 year-old Huma helped her sister return to university and convinced four girls in her community who had dropped out of school to return. She also tutors more than 20 girls who are struggling in school or need to catch up because they enrolled late. The advocacy trainings gave her a greater understanding of the social and political issues that keep girls out of school. Her dream is to become police officer and to continue to get girls in school — and help them stay. (Credit: Mustafa Quraishi / Malala Fund)

“I helped 25 girls to get enrolled in school. Before this, they were engaged in child labour; football making or sewing. I requested the government provide free education through class 12 so that everybody can get an opportunity to study.” — Samreen, 11 year-old student (Credit: Mustafa Quraishi / Malala Fund)

Ritam, Ruhi, Preeti, Huma and Samreen — like so many other girls in India — are ambitious and set high expectations for themselves and their peers. The foundation is now set for thousands more girls to not only complete their education, but also to feel empowered and able to encourage other girls in their community to do the same.

When one girl stands up, we all stand taller. As these girls continue to take a stand and inspire those around them, we move closer to a world where every girl can learn for 12 years and lead without fear.

Interested in learning more about the #withMalala film campaign or hosting a screening to inspire your community? Visit malala.org/film.