I didn't have to drop out of school and this is my story!

I grew up in a place called Garhwa in Jharkhand. On my paternal side, girls were married once they finished their 10th grade. My family started receiving marriage proposals as soon as I turned 13. My mother is a post-graduate from Kolkata University and at the time, the only woman on the paternal side to hold such a high degree. "You would be married off if you don't study," this false threat worked like a charm for an otherwise distracted daughter. My father valued education over everything else, he says it is the only way to rise economically and socially.

Garhwa lacked the two most basic things that my parents considered essential, good schools and good medical facilities. For my 10th board exams, I had to take private tuitions to finish the syllabus.

My parents decided to sell their big house, father gave up his thriving career and we moved to Ranchi. They took this huge risk only to provide me and my two brothers with the best education facility that they could.

At 23, I was an engineering graduate, went to the National Institute of Design for post-graduation in Design, met Tuhin Paul got a job in an e-learning company, got married when I was 27 and by 28, Tuhin and I had established Menstrupedia. By 29, I was listed in Forbes 30 Under 30. Menstrupedia was challenging the period taboo, periods began to be seen in a positive light and it became cool to talk about periods in the years to follow. My name would come up every time people talked about successful women entrepreneurs in India. At 33, we had our first child and same the year I was named as the Most Influential Women in Business by Business World Magazine.

What were the odds!! I could have been married by 17, had kids by 18. EDUCATION created all the difference. Not every girl has the same privilege and is lucky enough to have parents like mine. Educating a girl is the most important thing a society can do.

In India, 23 million girls drop out of school when they start getting periods. The reasons are many, lack of proper sanitation facilities, lack of awareness and widespread myths. A girl getting her periods indicates sexual maturity and parents restrict girls from having any contact with males. 9th standard girls in a school at Mehsana believed that boys would rape them if they came to know these girls were on periods. Imagine the fear of coming to school during periods!.2,30,000,00 girls, this number bothers me to the core and I will do every bit to bring it down to zero. If you want to collaborate plz write to me at [email protected]

Join me at Youth Ki Awaaz Action Network for #MHM, register here: https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/actionnetwork/mhm/

Download Menstrupedia's free educational resources and become a Period Champion in your community: https://www.menstrupedia.com/tg/hi

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