In the heart of a bustling South Delhi resettlement district, 16-year-old Sanjana challenges the notion that age can hinder women’s empowerment.
The young advocate dreams that she and other girls in her neighbourhood can walk safely wherever they go without unwanted attention.
Sanjana decides to take a proactive stance by promoting a movement advancing safety for girls in India, creating ripples of awareness within her community.
She stands among several hundred determined teenagers who have wholeheartedly embraced the transformative ‘Safer Cities for Girls’ programme, which focuses on ensuring the well-being and safety of girls and young women in Gautampuri.
What is the ‘Safer Cities for Girls’ programme?
A global campaign by Plan International, the programme aims to transform cities into secure and violence-free spaces for young girls. It empowers these girls to speak up, create supportive communities discussing women’s empowerment and safety, and look out for each other’s well-being.
The NGO Plan India spearheads the project in the colony with support from RYTHM Foundation. It provides adolescent girls between the ages of 13 and 18 access to designated safe spaces so they can freely move without fear of harassment or certain types of gender-based violence.
The programme has various components, including educational workshops providing safety tips for girls, self-defence training, and community outreach efforts to foster awareness about violence and women’s safety.
Currently, the project is underway in 20 cities around the world, including Delhi.
Sanjana’s Role in Creating Safe Cities for Girls
Sanjana has excelled as an advocate for Safer Cities for Girls, earning recognition as a ‘Digital Expert.’
She has spearheaded numerous digital safety walks, championing the well-being of girls both online and offline. She has also acquired self-defence skills and shared her expertise with 25 other girls.
“I am dedicated to supporting the well-being of girls like me. I want to enable them as I have been enabled,” she adds.
Sanjana’s journey aligns with the broader success of the programme, which has empowered more than 750 girls and boys to actively prevent and respond to types of gender-based violence that plague their community.
Thanks to their efforts, three public parks in the area have been made safer for girls and women. They have also identified and addressed several dangerous parts of the colony, such as dark corners and streets, so girls on the go may avoid these spots.
Sanjana represents the potential for positive change in Gautampuri, showing that empowering young people can significantly reshape community dynamics, creating a safer environment for everyone.
Sustainable Women’s Empowerment Begins with Safer Cities
In ‘Unsafe in the City’, a 2018 State of the World’s Girls study by Plan International, girls and young women deemed 80% of the spaces they accessed as unsafe. This eye-opening figure shows that creating safer cities takes a long-term commitment.
RYTHM Foundation’s 36-month collaboration with Plan India aims to impact at least 12,000 people, including families, government officials, and policymakers, on women’s empowerment and safety.
To learn more about this partnership, also read: Creating Safe Spaces: RYTHM Foundation and Plan India Prioritise the Safety of Girls and Women in Delhi.
Women’s Empowerment is an RYTHM priority. Explore our global initiatives advancing female well-being here.
