Back in April 2019, I was managing my department’s social media account in college when a message arrived that would change my entire life. Girl Up India was organizing an event with Young Leaders for Active Citizenship and Instagram at the Facebook offices, and Aditi, the Country Director, was running outreach. Typically, I wasn’t one to go for events outside campus, especially ones that were far off, and since it was the weekend, not many of my friends were keen to go. On a whim, I reached out to a friend from a different department, and we ended up deciding to go just one day before the event. It was serendipity. As someone who didn’t usually attend events, to almost deciding not to go, that moment shifted my career plans from a completely different trajectory toward a new sense of purpose. At the event, I was drawn into a space that felt instantly safe, and I remember awkwardly asking Aditi for her card because I knew I had to stay in touch. What brought me to Girl Up was serendipity, what pulled me in was kind warmth, and what nudged me to stay was community.
The day after the event, I reached out to learn about starting a club. I spent the next two months coordinating with my college administration to set up our club and started my journey as a Girl Up club president. I led that club through the final year and a half of university, raising funds for menstrual hygiene drives and awareness campaigns, but more importantly, that year changed everything I thought about leadership. I had planned to pursue a PhD in Political Science, but I realized my home had to be at Girl Up. From 2019 to 2020, I led the college club, and from 2020 to 2021, I led the Delhi Coalition comprising over 300 clubs. We published an anthology, started a newsletter, and fundraised through the pandemic to build a shelter for the transgender community in Delhi. Eventually, I applied to be a Regional Leader and then, after finishing my Masters in 2022, I joined the team as a staff member. I often tell our community proudly that I have participated in every program at Girl Up, from clubs and coalitions to staff and leadership summits. My true aha moment happened in 2020 as we were concluding a menstrual hygiene campaign at a government school in Delhi. In that room, with those ten-year-old girls giggling away and finding strength in their community, I realized this was exactly what I was meant to do.
The most prominent change in my worldview has been my perception of leadership. Growing up, I was influenced by mainstream ideas that were decidedly masculine and aggressive, where kindness was seen as a weakness. At Girl Up, I learned that wasn’t true. I saw that leadership could and should be empathetic, collaborative, and decentralized. This has deeply influenced my own style to be intentionally kind, trust-based, and accountable. I also learned the value of a brave space, where we listen to each other with attention, care, and empathy. This ethos ensures that every girl, no matter if they are shy or bold, can belong. Today, even though I have moved on to lead the Next Generation India Fellowship, these feminist values guide my personal life too. The world is harsh toward women, and Girl Up taught me that being kind to myself is an act of self-preservation. My end goal will always be a world where girls’ rights don’t have to take two steps back for every one step forward. Looking back, if I could give advice to my younger self, I would tell her that you are not bossy. To every leader today, I simply say to lead like a girl.
