International Day of the Girl Child, observed on October 11, is a reminder that every girl deserves the freedom to learn, grow, and shape her own future. The theme for 2026 is “End child marriage and invest in girls’ rights.” One of the key steps towards achieving this objective is making education accessible and available to girls.
Education enables and empowers girls to make choices about what they want to become and how they want their future to look.
Gender Gap in Literacy
Keeping the focus on Karnataka, the state is a hub for higher education. Yet, the numbers show a different story. The 2023–24 Periodic Labour Force Survey reported literacy at 88.1% for men and 77.3% for women, leaving a gender gap of 10.8%.
The state also recorded 18,461 school dropouts in 2022–23. Long distances to secondary schools, fewer schools after the primary level, teacher shortages, poor facilities, family responsibilities, and financial difficulties further make it challenging for girls to continue their education.
Giving Rural Girls a Place to Continue Their Education
At Each One Educate One Foundation, we strive to make quality, values-based education accessible to rural and underprivileged students. Our free-of-charge, residential education ecosystem is designed to provide rural students with continuity in education from school to university. Today, we have 3,044 students, including 1,759 boys and 1,285 girls.
Bringing our focus to girls’ education, we recognise the barriers they face, including poverty, distance from home, poor sanitation, lack of security, lack of funding, too few female teachers, early marriage, child labour, trafficking and exploitation. We are striving to remove these barriers through safe and secure residential campuses, modern infrastructure, a 1:18 teacher-student ratio and continuity from school to university.
We have eight dedicated campuses for girl students, providing a safe and secure residential environment where girls can continue their education. After completing school, students continue their higher education at the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, established in 2019–20.
The opportunities we provide extend from school to university, including STEM education, digital literacy, performing arts, Vedic studies, medical education, agricultural studies, physical education, skill development, NGO management, and mental health, giving students the freedom to explore different interests and pursue diverse pathways.
In our Each One Medical Education Programmes, there are 217 female students and 125 male students across MBBS, Nursing, and Allied Health Sciences. The aforementioned numbers clearly indicate how girls choose to pursue higher education when they receive the right support and opportunity.
Continuing Education Through a Difficult Childhood
“I come from a simple family. My mother worked very hard to give me a good education. Then my life changed when I came to know that she was suffering from cancer. She sent me to my aunt’s house because she did not want me to see her suffering.
Later, when my aunt and uncle faced financial difficulties, we came to know about this institution. I came here because the education was provided free-of-cost.
At first, everything was new, and I felt uncomfortable. Slowly, I understood that I was receiving much more than education. I learned to look at life positively and to find goodness in everything. I became more grateful and learned the importance of love, kindness and spirituality.
Before coming here, I had never seen anyone provide free education and care for so many children. I am truly grateful for the opportunity and the wonderful family I found here.
I promise that I will serve this institution and help people who face difficulties as I did.”
Divya R. Reddy, Grade 7
When an Opportunity Changed What I Believed I Could Become
“I come from Govindapur, a small rural village in Telangana. I lost my father when I was in 8th grade, and my mother, a daily wage worker, carried the responsibility of our family. Continuing my education was not easy, but I was determined to study further.
After 10th grade, I got a seat at Sri Sathya Sai Prashanthiniketanam, Kondapaka Campus. I completed my B.A. in English, Economics and Computer Applications from Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence.
During my internship, I was given responsibilities I had never imagined taking up, including conducting computer classes, managing academic levels, assisting with hostel administration and conducting Paravidya sessions. At first, it felt overwhelming, but with the guidance of my mentors and elders, I gained confidence. I had never imagined myself becoming a teacher. But teaching became one of the experiences I valued most.
Today, as I pursue my M.A. in English Literature, I carry one lesson with me: when an opportunity is given, it can change much more than a student’s education. It can change what she believes she is capable of becoming.”
G Soumya, 2nd Year PG, M.A. in English Literature
Invest in a Girl’s Education and Empower Her Future
Divya’s journey shows how education and care can give a young girl stability through a difficult time. Soumya’s journey shows how an opportunity can help a girl move beyond financial and personal circumstances and discover what she is capable of becoming.
At Each One Educate One Foundation, we have 1,285 girls pursuing their education alongside 1,759 boys. At university level, girls currently outnumber boys, with 514 girls compared with 435 boys. In Medical Education, 217 of our students are girls compared with 125 boys.
These numbers represent more than enrolment. They represent girls continuing their education, entering new fields, building confidence, and moving towards futures they can choose for themselves.
This International Day of the Girl Child, take action towards ending child marriage by investing in girls’ education. Be a part of our mission to uphold the fundamental right to education and enable girls to write their own success stories.
Give a girl the opportunity to learn. Give her the chance to choose her future.
Source: The New Indian Express: Karnataka’s gender literacy gap widens as girls drop out amid distance, poverty, and poor infrastructure
