David Durance, president of TeachBeyond, says those barriers begin early.

“Families are already saying to their young girls that they need to provide economically for the family. And then there’s the other side of that, which is a real social pressure to be married very young…. They’re married off at the age of 13, 14, and many by 15.”

(Photo courtesy of TeachBeyond)

Plan International’s 2025 State of the World’s Girls report shows how devastating that cycle can be. Across 15 countries, researchers spoke with 251 girls who married before age 18. Sixty-three percent were no longer in school, training, or work after marriage. More than one in three dropped out of school because of marriage — and only a few were able to continue learning afterward.

“If we were to map the two issues together – literacy issues combined with kids that don’t complete K to 12 education – then we’d see that this is actually a huge issue that needs to be addressed,” says Durance.

TeachBeyond is tackling that issue by offering girls high-quality education and free meals.

“When there is high-quality, affordable education…the equation changes for these parents,” Durance says. “It’s now saying there’s a practical invitation where my daughter might actually have an opportunity to have a different pathway forward in her life.”

(Photo courtesy of TeachBeyond via Facebook)

Educators with TeachBeyond are local believers who can serve as role models for their students. These Christian teachers point girls to Jesus, who calls them valuable, worthy, and loved.

Durance says, “We actually see this as, obviously a crisis, but a huge opportunity where – from the ground up, from the child up – we can pray for a whole society to receive the Gospel and be transformed by the power of the Gospel. “

Pray for young girls to access education, and for families to see daughters as valuable and capable. Thank the Lord for mentors inspiring girls toward Christ-centered leadership. Pray, ultimately, for Gospel transformation in communities trapped by poverty and tradition.

Learn more about TeachBeyond.

Header photo courtesy of TeachBeyond.

(Photo courtesy Mission India)

India (Mission India) — [EDITOR’S NOTE: October 11 is International Day of the Girl. But Mission India shares in this blog post that not all girls around the world are celebrated.]

Maybe you are thinking about the girls that make your life wonderful: a daughter, niece, or sister. I’m sure that for most couples you know, the birth of a baby (whether it’s a boy or a girl) brings joy. But in India, that’s not the case for many families. Girls are unwanted and discriminated against all their lives…simply because of their gender.

Strides are being made towards gender equality in India, but growing up as a woman in India is still no easy task.

We’ve put together this “everything you need to know” guide about the plight of women in India. Use it as a reference to pray specifically for women and girls in India. Also, dive deeper into issues that you care about…and share it with your friends and family!

Abuse
57% of men in India believe it is justified for husbands to beat their wives, and 53% of women also believe this abuse is justified.

Bride Burning
An estimated 22 women are victims of bride burning every day.

Child Marriage
India is home to 1 in every 3 child brides in the world.

Dowry
Families are expected to pay a dowry of expensive gifts of money when a daughter marries.

Female Infanticide (and sex-selective abortions)
In India’s capital city, Delhi, there are only 866 females for every 1,000 males.

Having an Older Sister
A woman who has one daughter already is more likely to kill any other daughters born to her.

Illiteracy
Millions of girls are never sent to school because it is considered a waste of precious resources.

Kidnapping
Since many families choose to kill daughters, there are not enough brides for men–especially in certain areas of India, so girls are stolen from other communities to be brides.

Lack of Food
If a family is poor, a son is the first to be fed, and the “less valuable” girl is given leftover scraps to eat.

Less Medical Attention
Parents are more likely to seek medical help for sick sons than daughters who are ill.

Religious Prostitution
An estimated 50,000 devadasis (temple prostitutes) live in south India.

Sex Trafficking
India has an estimated 1.2 million child prostitutes.

“Unwanted” Girls
Many girls in India are seen as burdens; some are even named “Unwanted.”

Widows
India’s 40+ million widows are rejected and seen as cursed.

Witch Accusations
One study showed that 2,500 women accused of being witches in India died over a stretch of 15 years.