Milaan Foundation’s CSR: Empowering 100,000 Girls and Reducing Child Marriage by 98 per cent

In India, child marriage is still a pertinent issue, especially in rural areas, wherein cultural norms and economic scarcity pressurize families to marry their daughters at a young age. Despite the government’s efforts to mitigate this issue, a few statistics highlight that a huge percentage of girls are still getting married before the legal age of 18, and many young girls face challenges like limited education and opportunity exposure. 

For example, states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have child marriage rates of around 15% to 27%, which reveals the urgent need to address the root cause of this social challenge. 

The Milaan Foundation’s Girl Icon program has launched a significant solution: to reduce marriage rates by 98% in targeted rural regions. By empowering teenage girls with education, community engagement, and leadership training, this program has significantly transformed the lives of 10,000 young individuals since 2007. 

By focusing on breaking cycles of poverty and challenging cultural norms, the Milaan Foundation has offered vital resources and support to young girls to uphold their rights and transform their futures effectively. 

Dhirendra Pratap Singh - Co-Founder & CEO of Milaan Foundation, emphasized this initiative is about preventing child marriage and fostering leadership and dreams among young girls to contribute to an equitable society. 

Milaan Foundation’s Girl Icon program reflected a transformative initiative to mitigate child marriage and empower teenage girls across India. Since its establishment. This program has achieved significant success, reducing child marriage rates by 98% in rural areas of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh. 

Additionally, a few studies indicated that child marriage rates in rural areas have plunged to less than 1%, which means lower than the state average of 15-23%. This success level highlighted the power of community-enabled efforts to transform the future of young girls, allowing them to get away from traditional constraints and pursue education.

The Milaan Foundation has reached over 100,000 young girls since 2007 and intends to dismantle cycles of poverty and deep-rooted cultural norms. With a comprehensive approach, the foundation offered leadership training, family support, and scholarships; Milaan equipped girls with adequate tools to reduce early marriage and build a bright future for young girls. 

Dhirendra Pratap Singh, Co-founder & CEO, emphasized that this program is focused on reducing child marriage and empowering young girls to envision a life beyond societal norms and leverage promising opportunities in future. 

Furthermore, collaborations with the local government and community leaders have played an essential role in promoting an environment favourable to change. 

The Milaan Foundation’s Girl Icon program is a transformative initiative specifically designed to empower teenage girls in rural regions of India, including Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. This program focused on leadership-based training, community engagement, and comprehensive educational support to mitigate deep-rooted issues of child marriage in India. 

This program facilitates young girls with essential skills and resources; it has successfully minimized child marriage rates by 98%, which brings down to less than 1% in operational areas. This achievement is evidence of the effectiveness of community-based efforts in reshaping societal or cultural norms, empowering young women, and helping them envision and pursue a better future with great opportunities. 

Implementation of the Girl Icon program leveraged a comprehensive approach to address the root causes of child marriage, such as poverty and lack of education among young girls. Moreover, the  Milaan Foundation provided participants with scholarships and mentorship, allowing them to break free from the vicious cycle of poverty and illiteracy. 

Furthermore, this program highlighted the significance of community involvement, working closely with local government, community leaders, and families to promote an environment that supports girls' education and autonomy. 

Through significant initiatives like life skills and access to digital resources, the Milaan Foundation empowered girls and mobilized them as leaders who can advocate for change within communities. 

Milaan Foundation’s Girl Icon program has made a transformative impact in rural India by reducing child marriage rates by 98% in regions including Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. A recent study indicated child marriage rates have plunged to less than 1%, which completely contrasts with state averages ranging from 15% to 23%.

This achievement highlights the effectiveness of a community-driven initiative that empowers teenage girls, allowing them to break free from traditional societal constraints and brighten their future. Since 2007, Milaan has reached out to over 100,000 young people to dismantle the cycle of poverty and challenge rigid cultural norms by offering suitable education and leadership training. 

However, the success of the Girl Icon program includes an extensive approach, including leadership opportunities, family support and more/ By addressing root causes of child marriage, like lack of education and poverty - Milaan equipped girls with essential tools to resist early marriage and pursue aspirations significantly. 

Collaboration with the local government and community leaders has helped promote an environment favourable to change. As CEO of the Milaan Foundation highlighted, “The Girl Icon program is designed to reduce child marriage; it also provides young girls the right opportunity to dream and lead.” 

Furthermore, with a plan to reach over 1 million teenage girls by 2030, Milaan continues its mission to challenge societal norms and expand opportunities for young girls in India.

Milaan Foundation’s Girl Icon program has set a transformative path ahead by aiming to empower 1 million teenage girls by 2030. This goal is rooted in the Girl Icon program’s significant success in reducing child marriage by 98% in rural regions of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. By prioritizing community-enabled initiatives, the foundation fosters the challenge of cultural norms prolonging gender inequality. 

To sustain the impact of the Girl Icon program, it focuses on enhancing curriculum-based training and better community engagement efforts. This includes offering access to digital resources, a safe space for girls to express themselves, develop leadership skills, and provide scholarships effectively. By mobilizing alumni as mentors or role models, Milaan strives to build a robust network of empowered young women who can inspire communities. 

Moreover, the foundation’s commitment to addressing the root causes of child marriage, like poverty and lack of education, is likely to continue with an extensive support system that fosters holistic development among teenage girls. 

As the  Milaan Foundation progresses towards its 2030 goal, they are dedicated to reshaping societal perceptions of gender roles and expanding opportunities for young women across India.