Under the Flagship Aspirational District Programme, run by the Aga Khan Foundation in collaboration with IndusInd Bank, a life skills training programme is being conducted on-ground, in rural Uttar Pradesh.
It aims to fulfill a simple mission — enable young women to take charge of their own lives, livelihood, and safety. Run out of a conveniently-located training centre, in Risiamod Chittaura, in rural Uttar Pradesh, young girls practice self-defense by learning Taekwondo.
This programme encourages women’s participation in diverse activities. As part of their life skills intervention, adolescent girls are being trained in pertinent topics such as health and hygiene, personality development, and so on — amongst which self-defense stands out.
The impetus for this initiative was to bolster the confidence and prioritise the safety of young girls, who commute from remote villages to attend schools and colleges. This initiative was seamlessly integrated with the Government of UP’s Mission Shakti. Under this initiative, a female trainer was hired to conduct regular sessions for the girls.
Its impact can be seen in a cohort of fearless young female students who are learning how to defend themselves and others in public spaces. Pratibha, a young learner of Taekwondo said, “I feel more confident to protect myself now, in case a boy is harassing us. I feel safer while travelling.”
The facilitators of this centre, who work for the Aga Khan Foundation, explained that this journey of teaching young girls self-defense has been a challenging one. Encouraging young girls to come out of their shells, and break the chains of societal expectations, was not always easy.
But now, change is evident. Chandni, another young student taking self-defense training, said, “My father supports my training now, and I feel very happy that I pushed myself to undergo this experience.” She aims to keep learning and not miss a single class.
The lead image shows young girls taking self-defense training in rural UP.
Sukanya Roy is a freelance journalist based out of Kolkata, and she believes in crafting impactful stories on the themes of gender, human rights, sexuality, environment, and the lives of denotified tribes and communities in India.
