From Resisting Child Marriage to Becoming a State-Level Voice for Girls
Asha Verma, an Adolescent Icon of Jago Foundation, belongs to Kower village in Sadar Block, Giridih district. Her journey from resisting her own child marriage to becoming a panellist at a state-level consultation is a powerful story of courage, resilience, and leadership.
Challenging Early Marriage
Asha’s struggle began soon after she passed her Matriculation examination, when her family started planning her marriage, believing that “a girl should be married at the right age.” But Asha had other dreams. She was determined to continue her studies and refused to let her life be decided by others.
As the Secretary of the Gulab Kishori Group formed under Jago Foundation, Asha had already received training on child rights, life skills, and the harmful consequences of child marriage. With this knowledge, she calmly and wisely explained to her parents the dangers of early marriage. She also had to stand strong against community elders and social influencers who were pressuring her father to go ahead with the marriage. After much struggle, she succeeded in stopping her own marriage — a turning point that gave her the confidence to stand up for other girls.
Becoming a Changemaker
Asha continued her education and is now a B.A. Semester 2 student. Alongside her studies, she volunteers with Jago Foundation, where she teaches academically weak girls, motivates them to know their rights, and helps them learn to take independent decisions.
Her leadership extended further in 2023–24, when she worked as a Peer Leader with UNICEF at the village level on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). She engaged with 75 boys and girls, breaking myths about menstruation, creating awareness about health and hygiene, and facilitating open discussions on sensitive SRHR issues — a subject rarely addressed in rural communities.
Through her work, Asha has successfully prevented the child marriage of 7 girls from her village and surrounding areas. Today, she is directly working with 125 adolescent girls, empowering them with education, awareness, and confidence.
Voice at the State Level
Asha’s inspiring journey recently reached a new milestone when she represented Jago Foundation as a panellist at the Jharkhand State Level Stakeholders Consultation on Safeguarding the Girl Child, organized by the High Court of Jharkhand at the Judicial Academy, Ranchi.
In front of distinguished stakeholders, Asha shared her personal story, struggles, and learnings. She also raised a critical issue — the lack of safe and reliable transportation facilities for girls. She emphasized that the absence of transport is one of the leading reasons for school and college dropouts among girls, which in turn pushes many into early marriage. By voicing this demand, Asha not only represented herself but became the voice of countless adolescent girls across Jharkhand.
Inspiration for Many
From a young girl fighting for her own right to education, Asha Verma has transformed into a confident leader who speaks on state platforms, influences community practices, and inspires others to dream beyond barriers.
Her journey symbolizes the mission of Jago Foundation — to ensure that no girl is left behind, every girl is educated, and every girl is empowered to make her own choices.
