Named after an inspirational women’s leader from the past, a slum in the Indian city of Patna is home today to a new band of girls who are being empowered by Viva to change their futures, as Fran Hall writes. Dalit Noun: A member of the lowest caste in the traditional Indian caste system. Literal …
BY HANNAH BARR Do you ever read something and think ‘Can I really say that?’ That’s how I often feel when I come to the line ‘forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.’ It’s a two-fold challenge: to accept that I am forgiven and to forgive others. When we don’t …
Join Devesh Lal on a journey to a slum in India’s poorest state to discover how Viva’s partner network is helping vulnerable girls to seek self-dignity and success, and to choose the course of their lives. Kamla Nehru Nagar is one of numerous slums in Patna, in the heart of the city – the capital …
BY ANNA COX Understanding and action: How Viva’s partner network in Patna is developing girls as rights advocates Every 18 months, we gather together with our colleagues from around the world to share experiences, develop strategy and build relationships. During our most recent international team meetings, I had the privilege of interviewing Devesh Lal …
BY ANDREW DUBOCK It leaves a lump in my throat and a knot in my stomach. Poverty at its most raw: unstable shelters deep in stagnant water, malnourished babies, hundreds of people accessing one well of unclean water, children with leprosy. It’s particularly hard to hear about the situation for girls, who are most …
BY ANDREW DUBOCK “I wish I was a boy.” Akansha’s words stuck in my head, as I grappled with the question: ‘how could any girl think like this?’ Yet Akansha’s thoughts are not isolated – according to a survey by the government’s Ministry of Women and Child Development, almost half of girls in India have …
In India, almost two-thirds more girls than boys die before their fourth birthday.* Jane Travis explains why such a low value is placed on girls’ lives there, how Viva is changing attitudes towards gender inequality and building confidence in India’s precious daughters. “It’s a girl!” Three simple words pronounced at birth that should evoke tears …
‘Abortion’ was today’s topic. As the 30 teenage girls passed around model foetuses, and listened to the teaching, I soon discovered that most had never heard about babies’ development before – and some of the group were on the verge of adulthood.
Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals focuses on Gender Equality. Gender norms and practices continue to hinder opportunities for women and girls worldwide. The targets under this goal go far deeper than the Millennium Development Goal (MGD) equivalent. In 2000, Goal 3 of the MDGs was to ‘Promote gender equality and empower women’. This …