Girls Count is an independent national level coalition of many civil society organisations and individuals across India, working to address factors that lead to declining child sex ratio. Members are united in their commitment towards creating a more gender equal and gender just society by challenging patriarchy and stopping gender-biased sex selection. The coalition represents the commitment of members to enhance the value of girls.
Girls Count believes that economic ‘liability’ of girls is one of the factors which lead to daughter aversion and hence there is a need for investment in women and girls’ ability to earn, own and inherit assets. Hence in 2018, Girls Count Coalition started a grassroots level intervention around non-traditional skills and livelihoods in Ahmedabad, Bilaspur, Howrah, Indore, Pune and Ranchi districts. The objective of the intervention is to promote non-traditional skills and livelihood among young women and girls, and connect them with livelihoods opportunities in trades that are male-dominated. The intervention aims to influence larger narratives around gender roles and occupations, and thereby change public discourse. Under this programme, women are being trained in trades such as house painting, electrical work- domestic as well as industrial, plumbing, petrol pump attendees, e-rickshaw driving, cab driving, mobile phone repairing, two wheeler repairing, bookbinding, home appliance repairing, security guard and carpentry. Annually, a group of 600 young women & girls from marginalised urban/semi- urban communities are being trained across the six intervention districts.