VOICE 4 Girls

VOICE 4 Girls run interactive, fun, informative and motivating activity-based programmes for adolescent girls and boys from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Pre-pandemic they delivered their programmes via in-person residential camps. During Covid, they have been successfully delivering their programmes online.

• The programme is aimed at girls who are currently in education, but at high risk of dropping out (due to factors like pressure to get married, or to become child labourers).
• During a three-year cycle of programmes and follow-up activities, adolescents learn about and discuss their rights, reproductive health, sexual relations, domestic violence, conflict resolution, financial literacy, career options, future planning and leadership.
• They also improve their spoken English skills, which helps to increase their future education and employment opportunities.

Some of the VOICE girls at camp

The long-term goals of VOICE, strongly endorsed by local government in India, are that the young people will:

• Continue in education.
• Take control of their futures.
• Decide for themselves when to get married and when to have children.

Sustainability and ‘scale-ability’ (the ability to continue their work over the long term, and to roll it out across India) are very important to VOICE. This is why they work with partners to develop, implement and expand their programme.

VOICE empowers girls and boys and encourages their families and communities to understand and safeguard the rights of women and girls. They know that when you invest in a girl, everybody wins, including her family, her community and the wider world.