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Raising Voices, Reimagining Futures: Stories of Change from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh Breaking Myths, Building Confidence: TCL’s Story from Jharkhand

Here is a story from Jharkhand that highlights how girls in our intervention areas are finding their voices to challenge menstrual stigma and early marriage — their awareness and confidence shaped through Breakthrough’s sessions on patriarchy, gender stereotypes, and menstrual stigma.

A 20-year-old Team Change Leader from Sariyachatti, Padma Block, Hazaribagh, has been part of Breakthrough’s programme since 2023. When her mother stopped her from touching pickle during her periods, Tanisha decided to test this belief through an experiment — she made pickle while menstruating and asked her family to use it. When the pickle remained fresh, her mother was convinced. Today, her mother speaks openly about menstruation, and even Tanisha’s brother has become more empathetic, understanding the pain and discomfort women experience during their periods.

Her growing confidence also helped her stop the early marriage of a relative. She persuaded the girl’s mother to prioritise education over marriage — the girl, who scored 70% in matriculation, now continues her studies.

Currently pursuing graduation and aspiring to become a fashion designer, she continues to challenge harmful practices through logic, empathy, and reason — inspiring others to do the same.

The Taaron Ki Toli Sessions: Empowering Adolescents for Gender Equality

At the heart of Breakthrough’s adolescent engagement is the Taaron Ki Toli (TKT) curriculum — a two-year, school- and community-based programme for adolescents aged 11–18 years.

Delivered by trained Community Developers, the sessions (45 minutes each, held monthly) aim to strengthen awareness, leadership, and life skills — enabling adolescents to think critically, communicate effectively, and make informed decisions about their health, safety, education, and age of marriage.

TKT sessions are delivered to:

• Ujjwal Taras (11–14 years)

• Roshan Taras (15–18 years)

During the reporting period:

• 13,420 adolescents (11–14 yrs) were reached in Uttar Pradesh

• 5,211 adolescents (11–14 yrs) in Jharkhand

• 19,482 adolescents (15–18 yrs) in Uttar Pradesh

• 2,129 adolescents (15–18 yrs) in Jharkhand

These sessions have helped adolescents question discriminatory norms, value education, and support one another in building gender-equitable communities.

Glimpses of Change Gorakhpur Girl: Claiming the Right to Education

Fifteen-year-old girl from Goplapur Gram Panchayat, Campierganj block, Gorakhpur, secured admission to Class 9 under the SHRESHTA scheme at Jeevandeep Public School, Varanasi. Initially, her father hesitated to send her away, fearing it might “spoil” her.
Supported by her mother — an active member of Breakthrough’s adult group — and through Breakthrough’s mentoring, she negotiated confidently and convinced her father. She now thrives in her new school, pursuing education with pride and independence.

Collective Spirit: Roshan Taras Sponsor a Peer

In Kareemnagar village of Tikri Gram Panchayat, Lucknow, when a girl had to drop out of school due to financial hardship, eight Roshan Taras came together to sponsor her education — a powerful example of solidarity and sisterhood in action.

Challenging Gender Bias in Schools

In intervention areas of Lucknow and Gorakhpur, 10 girls from 7 schools successfully persuaded school authorities to allow them to opt for science and mathematics — subjects they were earlier discouraged from pursuing due to gender bias. Their persistence reshaped school attitudes toward girls’ education.

Community Action Against Harmful Tradition: Ending the Practice of “Beating the Doll”

In the peri-urban villages of Maqdoompur and Alinagar Khurd (Sarojini Nagar block, Lucknow), communities collectively decided to end the practice of “Gudiya Peetna” (Beating the Doll) — a ritual historically observed during Nag Panchami.

While believed to ward off misfortune, the custom symbolically involved beating a doll representing a woman — reinforcing misogynistic attitudes and legitimising violence against women.

Through Breakthrough’s meetings and training sessions on gender-based discrimination and violence, girls and women began reflecting on its harmful messaging.

A Youth leader girl voiced,

“Beating a doll named after a girl legitimizes violence and discrimination.”

Adult member another girl added,

“Such rituals promote violent behaviour and make it seem acceptable.”

As a result, collective dialogues at the household and community level led to the complete discontinuation of the practice in both villages this year — a powerful example of community-led transformation.

Youth Day Celebrations: Voices of Change

On 12 August 2025, Breakthrough celebrated International Youth Day across 19 Gram Panchayats in Lucknow and Gorakhpur, engaging 482 participants.

Youth expressed their ideas through posters, rallies, wall paintings, and group discussions, focusing on strengthening girls’ voices, ensuring mobility, and confronting discrimination.

A girl from Sarojini Nagar spoke about restrictions on girls’ movement, while another girl highlighted unequal educational opportunities. Together, youth pledged to advance girls’ rights and leadership.

The day reinforced the importance of youth participation in local governance, including discussions on education, health, sanitation, equality, and employment — strengthening their commitment to collective action for inclusive community development.

Building Young Leaders: Training Team Change Leaders

During the reporting period, TCL trainings were conducted across 8 blocks in 3 districts — Lucknow, Ghazipur, and Maharajganj — with 258 TCLs (200 young women and 58 young men).

In Jharkhand, a three-day residential TCL training was held at Foresta Hotel, Hazaribagh, with 29 participants (27 female, 2 male).

Sessions focused on patriarchy, gender, women’s mobility, and intersectionality, enabling participants to critically analyse how caste, class, religion, and gender intersect to shape opportunities and inequalities.

As one participant, a boy, reflected:

“For the first time, we understood how our identities — caste, religion, gender — can both empower and disempower us.”

The training concluded with reflections and action planning, as participants committed to applying their learnings to promote gender equality within their communities.

District-Level Meeting: Sustaining Youth Engagement

On 31 July 2025, a district-level meeting was convened with 32 TCLs and youth representing 44 Gram Panchayats. The gathering aimed to sustain youth engagement beyond activity-based interactions and establish quarterly district-level forums.

Key discussion areas included:

1. Identifying gender-based violence and discrimination in communities

2. Mapping community resources and strategising their use

Participants shared powerful experiences:

• One girl became the first girl from her village to travel alone for training in Delhi, breaking stereotypes.

• Another girl spoke of her newfound freedom and ability to mentor peers.

• Another girl recognised how unequal domestic expectations are also forms of violence — and successfully negotiated change at home.

By the end, youth developed a three-month action plan, including:

• Forming panchayat-level youth groups for issue-based discussions

• Lobbying for public infrastructure (playgrounds, streetlights, CCTV, toilets)

• Participating in Gram Sabhas

• Advocating for libraries, drainage systems, and water supply improvements

• Ensuring consistent follow-ups with panchayat leaders

This meeting marked an important step in institutionalising youth-led governance and community participation.

1. Celebrating International Women’s Day in Haryana

This Women’s Day, voices across Haryana united to celebrate, challenge norms, and reclaim public spaces!

From football matches and dance performances to rallies and powerful community discussions, the momentum was unstoppable. A total of 2,210 participants—including women, youth, teachers, frontline workers, and parents—from 41 Gram Panchayats across 6 districts joined in to talk about gender equality, girls' education, early marriage, and mobility. These weren’t just concepts but lived realities shared through songs, speeches, chart-making on dreams, and video screenings like Byah Na Karayo Baba.

A proud milestone: two playgrounds for girls were inaugurated in Karnal villages, ensuring safe, inclusive spaces for them to play and grow. The presence of women Sarpanches and young girls served as a powerful reminder—change begins when we claim it.

2. Filmmaking Workshop: Voices Behind the Lens

To empower young people with the tools of digital storytelling, Breakthrough conducted two filmmaking workshops for 45 Team Change Leaders (TCLs) from across Haryana and Delhi.

These workshops provided immersive, hands-on learning experiences—from scripting and cinematography to editing. Participants explored how to narrate stories rooted in their lived experiences of gender discrimination, aspirations, and everyday resistance.

The two-day crash course introduced the fundamentals of visual storytelling. In contrast, the ten-day intensive workshop offered a deeper engagement, allowing participants to script, shoot, and edit short films on topics like:

• Girls’ education

• Safety in public spaces

• The courage to defy social norms

Filming in real-life settings—such as Karola village and Dabua Colony—grounded their narratives in authenticity.

Community Screening and Dialogue

A dedicated one-day event was held for TCLs from Karnal, Panipat, and Sonipat to screen two aspirational films they created during the ten-day workshop in February. These films reflect their personal journeys, the challenges they face, and the bold negotiations they engage in to claim their space and identity.

The event brought together 55 TCLs, local youth, and representatives from six local print media outlets, fostering a space for shared reflection and storytelling. The screening sparked rich dialogue and earned wide appreciation for the honesty and clarity of the youth voices.

One standout moment came from Mr. Goswami, a media representative, who was deeply moved by Pinky's story. He shared:

“Breakthrough has played a vital role in helping Pinky understand and embrace his gender identity. I had planned to stay for just a short time, but after hearing these powerful stories, I chose to stay for the entire meeting. It’s inspiring to see how thoughtfully and effectively the organisation is guiding young people to recognize their dreams and true selves.”

Impact Beyond the Lens

What emerged from the workshop was far more than technical skill—it was courage captured on camera. From reclaiming streets to challenging early marriage, each frame told a story of strength and self-expression.

These workshops didn’t just teach filmmaking; they instilled confidence. They transformed personal narratives into collective calls for change, showing that when young people are given the tools to tell their own stories, they become powerful agents of transformation.

3. Teachers’ Training on Adolescent Education in Collaboration with the Department of School Education (DSE)

Breakthrough’s partnership with the State Department of Education marked a significant milestone this quarter, as we were invited to lead District-Level Orientation Trainings under the Adolescent Education Programme (AEP). This opportunity, made possible through a recently signed MoU with the Department, enabled us to deliver impactful sessions across both intervention and non-intervention schools.

As part of this initiative, Breakthrough conducted teacher orientation programs in five districts—Panipat, Karnal, Rohtak, and Gurugram (intervention districts), and Kurukshetra (a non-intervention district). These districts were selected based on available human resources and strategic relevance.

A total of 480 teachers were trained, equipping them with key competencies in:

• Life skills education

• Health and hygiene awareness

• Adolescent psychological well-being

These sessions—funded and organized by the Department of School Education—were guided by the NCERT’s National Curriculum Framework. The focus was primarily on training Biology and Psychology teachers to serve as master trainers, creating a multiplier effect as they disseminate this learning within their respective schools.

By embedding adolescent education into the core of the state’s educational framework, this collaboration is laying the foundation for systemic, sustainable change. It ensures that adolescents across Haryana are better supported—not just academically, but emotionally and socially—with the tools they need to thrive in life.

4. Menstrual Hygiene Day: Breaking the Silence, Building Dignity

"When I bled for the first time, I thought I was sick, and I cried a lot."
— A young girl from Gurugram

This heartfelt reflection set the tone for Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day) in Haryana—a powerful reminder of the need to make menstruation visible, understandable, and free from stigma.

Under the global theme “Together for a Period-Friendly World,” Breakthrough brought together young girls, boys, women, and frontline workers to challenge long-standing taboos—like “don’t touch pickles” or “don’t bathe during periods.”

Participants shared striking personal stories:

• A woman in Sonipat said, “Today I learned what a menstrual cup is—I saw one for the first time.”

• In Gurugram, an adolescent shared, “My family left me at home during a temple visit because I was menstruating. I felt punished for something natural.”

• A mother in Karnal admitted, “Even today, I buy sanitary pads quietly from the shop. I feel embarrassed asking a male shopkeeper.”

Through interactive sessions, poster-making, ‘Jholewali Didi’ video screenings, and parent-adolescent dialogues, participants challenged the culture of silence surrounding menstruation.

A teacher in Rohtak remarked:

“As long as we treat periods as something shameful and private, girls will continue to drop out of school.”

Encouragingly, boys and fathers joined the conversation. Shivam, a youth from Jhajjar, said:

“Earlier, I thought this was only a girls' topic. But now I understand that I need to learn about it too—only then can I truly offer support.”

Across regions, the message rang loud and clear:
Periods are not a curse. They are not a barrier.

When we listen with empathy, provide accurate information, and create safe, inclusive spaces, we don’t just promote hygiene—we protect dignity, equity, and opportunity.

At Breakthrough, Menstrual Hygiene Day is not just an event. It’s an ongoing commitment to changing the narrative around what is ‘normal’—and making space for truth and respect.