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Tragedy drove This Indian Woman’s Fight for Girls' Education

Dr Urvashi Sahni, the Founder and CEO of, Study Hall Education Foundation, turned her personal tragedy into a fight for girls' education. When she was 27, Sahni heard that her young, married cousin had died from burns sustained at home. She believes her cousin was a victim of dowry violence which is when women are abused over disputes about their dowry. Sahni says, <i>“What this did was it totally shook me out of my semi-comfortable life. And I started to ask myself questions. I said, why didn't she complain? Why couldn't she say anything? Why couldn't we stop this?”</i> The key to dismantling inequality, Sahni realised, lies in girls' education. So she founded a school based on feminist pedagogy, which helps kids become aware of oppressive social norms, power structures and gender relations, so they understand that patriarchy is a social construct, not a natural one and that it can be changed. The entire education system is, she says, in need of a radical overhaul. Watch the video to learn more about Sahni’s efforts to improve the status of girls' education.

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