Rajitha is twelve years old and dreams of becoming a teacher. Her parents, farmers in rural Telangana, have other plans—they want to marry her off. She's a first-generation learner, and they have another daughter to "settle." Rajitha's story echoes across thousands of families in India, where deeply entrenched expectations, fears and poverty exclude girls from shaping their own futures.
VOICE 4 Girls works to change this reality by creating gender-transformative safe spaces that empower adolescents and drive systemic change. Founded in Hyderabad in May 2011, the organisation reaches marginalised girls aged 11-16 through activity-based camps and year-long peer-led programmes. Their mission is to enable girls to take charge of their futures by imparting critical knowledge, spoken English and life skills. Critical knowledge includes basic health, menstrual hygiene, safety, rights, self-awareness and future planning—topics that many girls have never had the opportunity to explore openly.
Meet the team
VOICE 4 Girls, on LinkedIn
Anusha Bharadwaj, Founder & Strategic Advisor
Nayonika Roy, Co-Executive Director
Vanitha Prabhu, Co-Executive Director
The organisation's approach is rooted in creating an ecosystem of support. VOICE partners with local organisations, governments and low-cost private schools to implement camps and programmes in schools. They've built strong partnerships with Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and Social Welfare and Tribal Welfare Residential Schools across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. But they don't stop with the girls themselves—recognising that lasting change requires broader engagement, VOICE has expanded its work to include parents, teachers and boys.
Recent camps like 'Parichay' educate girls on topics such as puberty, menstrual health, basic rights and protection from violence, encouraging them to reflect on societal and cultural standards of strength, beauty and gender roles. Through engaging activities and interactive sessions, participants explore simple solutions for overcoming challenges and resolving conflicts. Pre and post-camp assessments show that girls are more confident and invested in their education, futures and communities after camp.
The organisation has seen girls as young as 12-13 bring impactful changes in their communities by stopping child marriages and fighting systemic inequalities. Former campers return as counsellors and staff members, creating a girls-for-girls movement that ripples outward. When a girl finds her voice at VOICE, the world around her begins to change—and she becomes the catalyst for change in her family, school and village.
