Golden cages are still used to hold beautiful, rare birds, just as they are there are to make women believe they are truly free when in reality they are not. Does investing in a girl’s education alone give her independence and freedom, or is she made to believe she is free when she truly isn’t? I believe we educate our girls, but we don’t teach them to live fulfilling lives and be the contributors to our economic growth that they can be.

Gender parity supporting girl child’s education in India is a key agenda being driven by most social sector organizations today. And a lot is being invested in educating girls and supporting the creation of women entrepreneurs in India. But in the deeply patriarchal system that we still operate within, is enough being done to provide them with the financial and social freedom that is their right?

We live in a societal system where there is a family expectation for women to drop out of the workplace when they get married or decide to have children? We also have a society where families and men are not shamed for taking dowry or for mistreating the women in their lives. And this is at all economic levels of society today, from the highest to the lowest. While there are laws, government support, government and private sector grants and many individuals dedicating their lives to the upliftment of women in India, what I want to bring to the discussion here is the need for a change in societal mindset towards women by women, at all economic statues of society.

And this mindset change will come by women being mentored by men and women who are not only believers in the big role women can play in economic growth of this country, but who have also successfully navigated the social barriers themselves. And most of these are softer skills like how to navigate family conversations on work and marriage, and how to choose the right partner to support you as a woman in your own journey as much as his. It also comes by advising young girls and women entrepreneurs to get the right skilling on how to manage their money to gain financial independence. I have seen how when girls are taught early on how to invest from their first earnings itself, they can create the savings needed to take time off when they have their first child and if supported by a mentor and support group, get the right support to go back to work as well.

So, if we want to truly make the women in India lead fulfilling lives we need to look at comprehensive solutions not just covering education but also develop mentoring networks that guide and support them to be able to get the results we desire by educating them in the first place, equal contributors to our economy and society, leading fulfilling lives.