BREAKING GENDER INEQUALITY AND SHOWCASING COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP: NAZMIN’S STORY

20-year-old Nazmin Khatoon resides in Tiljala area in Park Circus Kolkata with her mother and one younger sister. Like many other females in her community, her mother engages in domestic worker in nearby localities and earns INR.4000/- per month. Though Nazmin’s mother did not get the opportunity to continue her education, she always encouraged her daughters to continue their studies. With the support of local governing bodies (ward councillor), both of her daughters were enrolled in Government-sponsored school. Unfortunately, Nazmin could not continue her studies after class 8th due to financial constraints. Nazmin’s younger sister currently studies in class 6.Nazmin life has been hard since childhood; she has faced a lot, and all this made her more sensible and mature at a young age. To overcome the financial condition at home, Nazmin and her mother both started working as domestic help. She said, “If my mother had any skill, then she could have lead a respected life. I did not want to live my life like my mother.”

With the determination to do something in life, Nazmin got in touch with Bal Raksha Bharat’s team and underwent 4-day life skill training session. She said, “These 4 days were the golden moments of my life which helped me to realize about my potential and also set my life’s goal.”.

Nazmin applied her knowledge of gender equality acquired during the capacity building process and sensitized the girls in her own community. She played a crucial role as a peer motivator whenever any female of her community faced any difficulty like early marriage, violence at home, etc. She then went on to become self-independent by working in a beauty parlour, to earn a living for her family. As Beauty & wellness industry was shut down suddenly due lockdown in the pandemic, she lost her job and once again faced severe hardship. After the government imposed unlock II and movement of individuals became possible, Nazmin started freelancing as a beautician and started earning INR.3500/- per month.

“My life has just started to get better. I hope to grow and do well in this Beauty Industry.” Nazmin wants to become a makeup artist in future and open her own parlour.