I
t was a sweltering summer day in Haryana in northern India, yet the scorching heat did not deter 13-year-old Nandini Jaglan and her 10-year-old sister Yachika from marching with determined steps toward their school.
Both clutched charts and placards, but these weren’t meant for a show-and-tell session. Rather, the sisters were on a mission to promote vital changes within their school, chief among them installing informative posters in girls’ washrooms about menstrual health – covering what periods are, how to use sanitary pads, and why these topics should be discussed openly, without shame.
“When one of my classmates got her period at school, she had no idea what was happening, and the other children started to mock her,” Nandini recounted. “I not only intervened to stop the taunting, but also took the time to explain to her what was happening and what we needed to do next.”
Hailing from Bibipur village in Haryana, Nandini is recognized as one of India’s youngest social activists. She works with Yachika often by her side, advocating for child rights, particularly those of girls. The sisters aim not only to educate their peers but also to create a supportive environment where young girls can feel comfortable discussing topics like menstruation without stigma.
Despite their youth, Nandini and Yachika are helping pave the way for a more informed and confident generation of girls, in a country where females are treated like second-class citizens and where even natural female body functions such as periods are treated as things that need to be hidden.
In its Gender Gap Report 2024, the World Economic Forum (WEF) estimated that it would take 134 years to achieve full gender parity in India, beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target. In 2024, India ranked 129th out of 146 countries on WEF’s Global Gender Gap Index. India has closed 64.1 percent of its gender gap during the year, WEF noted, but that only leaves policymakers with a huge window of opportunity to do better.
Nandini and Yachika have not been waiting for policymakers to start moving, though. Their young friends have been shocked by the ease with which the two girls discuss menstruation, and even their elders are sometimes taken aback whenever they tackle female feticide, which remains a problem in India because of what one prominent doctor says is the “obsession for sons among Indian couples.”
Abortion up to 20 weeks remains legal in India, but pre-natal sex discernment is not. When the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act was passed in 1994, it became illegal in the country to reveal the sex of an unborn child except for strictly medical purposes. Yet states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Bihar still have pre-natal sex determination clinics operating underground.
This largely contributes to India’s estimated 46 million missing females at birth each year, which in turn accounts for nearly half of the world’s missing female births.
A struggle to open minds, conversations
The Jaglan girls say that in the beginning, their peers often laughed whenever they spoke about issues like this during morning assembly sessions. The reaction left both of them confused over why these subjects evoked such discomfort or embarrassment.
But with the support of their father and the school principal, attitudes slowly began to shift. Within a year, such conversations became “normal.”
“I started these campaigns because my classmates didn’t know anything about periods or female feticide,” said Nandini. “And when my father explained these issues to me, I thought it was important to carry forward that message.
“It was not easy to actually speak about it because my classmates would pass remarks and taunt (me),” she added. “What kept me going was this understanding that the message is way bigger than the hurdles I am facing.”
Her sister Yachika said, “My classmates would feel shy and awkward when I would tell them about periods specifically. And more surprising for them was to know that all this information was passed to me by my father. But I would not feel uncomfortable about anything because Papa would make everything look factual and normal.”
‘Papa’ is Sunil Jaglan, a renowned gender activist who initially started the campaign Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save Girl Child and Educate Her) from his village Bibipur in 2012 where he was a sarpanch (village head). The campaign has been adopted by the government and rolled out throughout India. Jaglan also initiated the Period Calendar, an innovative campaign designed to normalize conversations around menstruation within families and actively involve men in the process.
Period Calendar features a calendar-like chart that includes the names of the women in the household, along with the dates and duration of their menstrual cycles. Beyond breaking taboos surrounding menstruation, the Period Calendar allows even male members of the household to monitor any irregularities in the menstrual cycles of the women in their family, which could indicate potential health concerns. It also encourages them to ensure that their female household members receive adequate rest and care during their menstrual period.
Jaglan used to have a ‘macho’ mindset himself, but his attitude began to change when Nandini was born in 2011. Overjoyed by the birth of his daughter, Jaglan tried to pay the midwife and distribute candies among his neighbors in celebration. But the midwife turned down his offer of money and said she was sorry she had delivered a girl, while the neighbors said that he could always try again for a son.
Jaglan, however, could not be stopped being happy over having a daughter and thought it odd that others would not feel the same.
That got him thinking that females were being treated unjustly. He then set out to help change attitudes toward women and girls. And while his campaigns focus on women’s empowerment, they also emphasize the critical role of men as active participants in driving change.
After over a decade of dedicated activism, Jaglan established the non-profit organization Selfie With Daughter Foundation, focusing on women’s and children’s rights. His initiatives have also found resonance in Nepal, where he collaborated with the Nepal Internet Foundation. Said Bikram Shrestha, the foundation’s president and founder: “Nepal, much like India, grapples with issues of patriarchy and social inequality. We were thoroughly impressed with Jaglan’s efforts. His campaigns not only raise awareness in an accessible way but also effectively reach those living on the margins, who need advocacy and equity programs.”
Jaglan is now gearing up to train volunteer teams in Pakistan through Zoom, enabling them to take up campaigns like Beti Bachao and Period Calendar. His two daughters are expected to also play an active role in fostering cross-border collaborations, contributing their expertise and vision to these efforts.
Early start
Because his two girls had been instrumental in his own attitudinal transformation, it was only natural that Jaglan would encourage them to become advocates themselves.
“I was resolute in my mission to ensure that my daughters would not inherit the prejudices that have long plagued my community,” he told Asia Democracy Chronicles (ADC). “Conversations with them were relatively straightforward, as their minds were free from ingrained inhibitions. It was much easier than the efforts I had to invest in my wife and mother.”
Jaglan clarified, however, that Nandini and Yachika’s involvement in advocacy at such a young age was something he had discussed first with his wife.
“I firmly believe in mutual decision-making as parents,” he explained. “It wasn’t a conflict, but rather an important dialogue. What stands out to me is how sensible both girls are. They grasp the nuances of the issues at hand and understand how much to explain and with what intensity.”
The two girls started with campaigns on menstrual hygiene and female feticide; they are now learning to get involved in campaigning for equal rights. According to their father, it is important to introduce them to the right themes at the right time.
“I initially trained them in menstrual hygiene and why it’s important in schools and for every girl of their age,” said Jaglan. “Apart from activism, it personally also served two purposes: First, we had to educate them about menstruation at this age, and second, their shyness about menstruation vanished. In the future, it will not hamper their activity or give them jitters, which generally happens with girls.”
Beyond advocacy, the girls have a vibrant life filled with hobbies. They enjoy playing badminton and volleyball, and are enthusiastic about chess and UNO, a popular card game. They even invent their games together. When it comes to food, they love red kidney beans and rice, along with a special fondness for kadhi rice (curd curry with rice), prepared in the distinct Haryanvi style.
Both said that they will continue campaigning on women’s issues and advocating for women’s rights as they grow up. But Yachika said that when the time comes, she wants to join the police force.
“My dream is to clear the Indian police service exams,” she said. Meanwhile, her older sister said that she wants to become a doctor — but with a vision that extends beyond medicine.
“I want to become a doctor when I grow up and I will specifically work on women’s health,” Nandini said. “It would give me access to women and their issues, and I would create a mechanism to understand the issues women face like domestic violence so that they get help.” ◉
