Walkathon sheds light on barriers preventing girls from completing higher secondary education

CRY – Child Rights and You conducted a walkathon, ‘Walk to EmpowHER’ at Elliot’s Beach on Sunday as part of its nationwide campaign, ‘Poori Padhai Desh Ki Bhalai’.

The event was held to raise awareness about the barriers preventing girls from completing higher secondary education in India, and the need for collective action to address the challenges. The event was attended by S. Madhumathi, Secretary, School education, who talked about the schemes implemented by GoTN to promote girl education.

Dharani Rasendran, a film director stressed that both society and the government share the responsibility of educating girl children. He shared his experiences of working to empower girls in Vyasarpadi in collaboration with a CRY partner.

John Roberts, Regional Director of CRY (South), shared the context of the walk, “While India has made strides in primary education, the transition to higher secondary education remains a significant challenge,” he said. “According to UDISE+ 2022, only three out of five girls continue beyond Grade 10. Barriers like poverty, gender discrimination, child marriage, and safety concerns disproportionately affect girls, leading to dropouts and limiting their futures,” he further commented.

The event also had a spotlight for stories of Amsaveni, Sailaja, Vasanthi, and Kavya, who overcame challenges such as poverty and gender discrimination to continue their education.

Published - November 25, 2024 12:20 am IST