Girl Up

Overview

Girl Up India

Since 2018, Girl Up has expanded and grown to include a robust community of more than 12,000 passionate youth changemakers in 800+ clubs in India spanning 26 states and union territories in the country. Since the launch of the movement in India, our youth members have engaged in conversations and advocacy actions rooted in feminist and democratic values. This expansion has been a result of dedicated on-the-ground efforts and sustained virtual interactions over the past five years. This has resulted in youth members taking up gender equality as a goal in their schools, colleges, and communities, driving over 2,500 local-level efforts and actions to advance girls’ skills, rights, and opportunities.

Girl Up Clubs regularly undertake activities in their communities to create change at the micro and macro level. They have been involved in creating and distributing resources for girls to continue their education by providing refurbished mobile phones, stationery kits, sanitary pads while also creating systemic changes for sustainable impact. In 2019, Girl Up Sakhi organised the Menses Not Offences campaign at the Delhi High Court and successfully fundraised more than INR 2.5 Lakhs (US$ 3100) to support 350 menstruators with one year’s supply of menstrual kits.

26
Indian States & Union Territories with Girls Up Clubs
800+
Clubs
13,400+
Community Members

Girl Up India Leadership Summit 2023

about the girl up india leadership summit

The Girl Up India Leadership Summit was a day-long event packed with inspiring conversations and workshops led by experts and champions in the gender justice space in India. More than 850 enthusiastic young individuals and gender equality advocates like Dia Mirza, Harnaaz Sandhu, Shombi Sharp and more, gathered under one roof with a shared goal – to create a gender-equal ‘Future 2030’.

This in-person event was part of our regional Leadership Summit Series, which brings Girl Up events worldwide.

Date: October 8, 2023

Venue: Vivanta by Taj, Dwarka, New Delhi

CHECK OUT 2023 INDIA SUMMIT IMPACT REPORT HERE!

CHECK OUT THIS BLOG FROM THE 2023 INDIA SUMMIT HERE!

View some awesome moments from the 2023 summit!

Check out more moments from the 2023 India Leadership Summit on YouTube

Issues We Care About

Menstrual Equity
Awarded the Vedana Award for our work in spreading menstrual awareness and equity in 2022
Entrepreneurship
Girl Up India partnered with the US Consulate, Kolkata, to launch a 10-week long Apprentice Hub
Gender-Based Violence
Organized virtual events and online campaigns to raise awareness and inspire action against GBV
Mental Health
Partnered with YMH to host the Global Mental Health Fest and Confab in 2020 and 2019, respectively
Storytelling
Hosted an offline bootcamp in Kolkata with the U.S. Consulate to train youth in storytelling skills
Leadership
Trained over 850 youth in leadership skills at the Girl Up India Leadership Summit 2023

Club Spotlight

During Transgender Awareness Week 2023, Girl Up अbaadh visited Mitr Trust, a sanctuary for trans people, to extend their support to the community and share stories, laughter, joy and solidarity. Their commitment transcended the visit, and following this they fundraised over INR 35,000 for the Trust. By spotlighting the challenges faced by trans people through initiatives like this, they strive to create a more inclusive society, igniting change and illuminating pathways to equality.

Participating in this campaign was amazing. It gave me the opportunity to visit a shelter home for trans people, understand the challenges they face daily and how we, as allies, can support them. This experience has really empowered me to be an advocate for change and take action.
Arishtika, Girl Up Leader

Clubs can apply for up to $1,000 to support their Girl Up projects and activities throughout the year. Learn how you can apply here.

Read the Latest Zine

ZineIssue14_Girl Up India Download

Check out Issue 14 here!

Our Team

Aditi Arora (she/her)

COUNTRY DIRECTOR

Aditi started her Girl Up journey in 2018 as the Country Manager for India. Throughout her journey, she was met with raised eyebrows when attempting to make connections with schools and colleges, and was constantly asked “why not Boy Up?” Despite this, Aditi has grown Girl Up India school by school, club by club, with now more than 600 youth clubs across 25 States and Union Territories. Girl Up members have helped her understand leadership, the meaning of community, and working with kindness and compassion.
Anushka Maheshwary (they/them)

Associate – Communications & Digital Media

Anushka’s first introduction to feminism and the movement for gender justice was through bell hooks’ book ‘Feminism is for Everybody,’ This book helped them embark on a journey of constant learning and unlearning, which led them to pursue a Master’s in Gender Studies. This then brought them to Girl Up in June 2022. They’ve had the chance to learn, grow and connect with the community whether through curating micro-campaigns on our social media platforms or through events.