Pune: Women's Vigilance Group To Counsel Village Girls To Continue Education

Women's vigilance group of Pune Zilla Parishad are all set to take over the role of education counsellors for girls in villages and guide them to continue their education up to graduation.

Chief Executive Officer of the Parishad, Ayush Prasad said the number of drops out among girl students were way more than boys. Usually, girls drop out at transition phases, from primary to secondary levels or right after completing Class X or Class XII. In many cases, they are married off immediately after schooling, and things are worse for girls who belong from economically lower strata, he added.

Speaking about the women vigilance groups, Prasad said they will act as the first level of contact at village level for women. "What we expect these women to do is to counsel families of girls about to drop out. They will identify them and ensure they complete their graduation at least," The Indian Express quoted him as saying.

In addition, the Zilla Parishad has also decided to offer scholarships to these girls along with the provision of transport allowance as incentives to continue with their education, the media reported.

The team has earlier worked towards curbing domestic violence at grass root levels during the coronavirus lockdown period, as similar incidents were recording a spike. To monitor such activities, the Zilla Parishad had formed three-member vigilance committees who reached out to women in villages and distant places and offered help.

Over 25,000 women volunteers operating through 1,455 WhatsApp groups in Maharashtra reported having successfully resolved cases.

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