Rajastan Rising received a £5,600 grant from Population Matters, £4,100 of which was raised from the generous contributions of our members and supporters. Thank you.

Rajasthan Rising was launched during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020 when 10 girls came together to campaign for access to education and an end to child marriage. They are now a movement of 5,000 girls across the region.

“I belong to a SC community, which is considered lower caste in India and I was destined to clean other people’s homes just like my mother. But I had dreams and plans for my future and I wanted to be part of a collective which will allow other girls to achieve their dreams and not be forced into child marriage. I started Rajasthan Rising with a few of my friends in 2020 and today we are over 5000 girls strong across Rajasthan. As a core leader, I organise other girls and build their leadership so they can demand their right to an equitable education and better future.”

– Priyanka Bairwa, Founding Member, Rajasthan Rising

Empower to Plan funds supported the delivery of new leadership training workshops with thematic sessions on sexual and reproductive rights and climate justice. Led by existing Rajasthan Rising members and local mentors, the six months of training sessions engaged 17 adolescent girls from some of the most marginalised communities of the state. Each participant also spearheaded local projects such as developing ecological sanitary pads, improving hygiene access in schools or leading outreach campaigns to combat child marriage, reaching a further 225 girls. Our support also facilitated 100 community meetings with over 500 people, enabling dialogue and awareness-raising around combatting child marriage and ensuring girls’ education.

To read more about Rajasthan Rising’s important work and hear from some of the girl leaders themselves, read our report on their training programme, the Indian girl-led movement going from strength to strength, and check out our 2022 Change Champions Awards; Rajasthan Rising leader, Vineeta Meena, won our Young Campaigner Award.

“Child marriage ends childhood.  It negatively influences children’s rights to education, health and protection. These consequences impact not just the girl directly, but also her family and community.”

– UNICEF