Watch video: 'I want to become a teacher and teach poor children for free', says Kashish

The women of Assawarpur village in Sonepat district of Haryana rarely step out of their homes. A woman’s space here does not extend beyond, and if she works outside even when her husband has a regular income, she is easily maligned. Extending from the same dominant beliefs, the men of the village resist educating their daughters. Assawarpur has a school till Class 10, though the girls here rarely get an education beyond Class 2.

But Kashish, a Dalit, has reached Class 5 – one of only a handful of girls in her batch. Her mother Nisha Ahaldhiya has ensured that her daughter stays in school and gets a chance to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor or a teacher.

Student Reporter : Shranya Gambhir

Shranya Gambhir is an undergraduate at Ashoka University, Sonepat, Haryana, studying literature and journalism. She is interested in working on gender and social justice issues. This video documentary is part of her 2016 PARI internship.

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