Our Executive Director Anusha Bharadwaj published a policy brief as part of her Echidna Fellowship. Read it here
Advocating to address systemic gender barriers and foster equitable development
What makes a space truly safe and empowering for girls? Anusha Bharadwaj (India) and Thinley Choden (Bhutan), both Echidna Global Scholars 2023, are leading a cross-cultural research project exploring how girls in Bhutan and Telangana define and experience gender-transformative safe spaces and agency. Through creative, participatory workshops with 120 girls across rural and urban schools, this study uncovers how cultural, social, and economic contexts shape girls' empowerment. By challenging assumptions that higher national development automatically leads to greater gender equity, this research brings girls' voices to the forefront and offers grounded recommendations for creating meaningful safe spaces in schools and communities.
How do adolescent girls become powerful changemakers in their communities? VOICE's project "Girls Leading Change" explores this question by documenting the stories, struggles, and successes of girl leaders across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Through interviews and participatory research with organisations, community members, and girls themselves, this year-long initiative highlights what truly enables girls to lead—and what holds them back. The insights will help shape better programmes, stronger investments, and more coordinated efforts to support girls as leaders of today and tomorrow.
