About

Vandana is one of seven siblings, 4 sisters and 3 brothers, who live in a small house in a tiny village in Uttar Pradesh, India. Both of her elder sisters have never been to school, the eldest being married before the age of 18. She is the first girl in her family to stand up for her right to be educated. Told that her education would not benefit the family, Vandana chose to fight to go to school anyway. For a 16-year-old, Vandana is a highly opinionated girl. If you dig deep enough, she says, the root cause of any act of violence against girls and women, in her community, is the lack of education. Because of this girls are not aware of their human rights and do not know how to raise their voices when they face violence or discrimination. Sometimes she says they do not know they can even attempt such a thing. She feels that child marriage is the biggest issue faced by her community caused by a combination of illiteracy, poverty, and a discriminatory attitude towards girls. She recalls that when she wanted to do something to stop her own elder sister’s marriage before 18, her father locked her in a room and ordered her not to speak a word.