Train 200 Indian teen girls as peer health leaders

Challenge

India has the world's largest adolescent population, which includes 120 million teen girls. Gender inequality impacts the health of millions of these girls. Due to societal, cultural, and religious taboos, the comprehensive adolescent health education required to overcome these challenges is often poorly taught or completely missing during a girl's in-school education. As a result, females suffer an unacceptable burden of health and educational consequences in adolescence and into adulthood.

Solution

Through our flagship program, Girls Health Champions, we use an innovative, proven peer education model to cultivate a network of youth health educators ("Champions") in low-income schools across Mumbai, India. We capitalize on the innate voice and leadership potential of our Champions, empowering these promising youth as central actors in their own health and wellbeing. Our Champions lead the educational process and share crucial health information in their schools and in their communities.

Long-Term Impact

This project will train a network of 200 Indian teenage girls as emerging health leaders. These Champions will then provide essential health education to 1,000 teen girls across 10 low-income schools in Mumbai, India in health topics that matter most to adolescent females, including menstruation, mental health, sexual & reproductive health, and nutrition & anemia. By leading the educational process in-school, our Champions can catalyze positive health outcomes for themselves and their peers.

Resources