Milaan is a non-profit that works with and for adolescent girls and young women to impart knowledge, skills and the social environment needed for them to pursue their aspirations. ‘Milaan’ is a combination of ‘milan’ meaning coming together and ‘elaan’ meaning declaration, which indicates their mission of bringing a movement together and demanding a just world. They work closely together with the community to challenge social norms that reinforce gender inequality and to rewrite the narratives that shape the daily lives of women. They amplify the voices of adolescent girls from marginalised communities with stories of hope and aspirations to challenge restrictive gender norms. They began as an effort to meet government guidelines for the right to education in Swarachna School, Uttar Pradesh, branching into midday meal schemes, menstrual-friendly infrastructure, leadership and life skill programs and the ‘Girl Icon Program’ across other states to strengthen girls’ self-positive behaviours and access to opportunities and skills.
Why they are the right choice for others:
- Working at scale to ensure the freedom and opportunities of adolescent girls in India, who are often married before legal adulthood, lack access to secondary education and face various forms of violence in the household.
- Amplifying the stories and voices of adolescent girls to empower other young girls to seek empowerment, education and work opportunities and move away from violence and child marriage.
- Providing life skills, scholarships, mentoring and creative collective and safe community engagement to help adolescent girls move towards resilient and self-positive behaviours and independence.
- Training ‘Girl Icons’ and creating a network of alumni and leaders to bring change back into communities at the social and professional levels.
