The “why” holds the key to “how” girls step into leadership roles. Girls begin to take on leadership roles when they start asking “why”, says Gauri Puranik, Head of English Programmes for India at the British Council, emphasising that true empowerment stems from quality education rooted in equality and inclusion. She explains that the turning point really comes when girls begin to question why things are done in a particular manner, why not the other way round, and why one system is followed instead of another. Although this may seem simple, Puranik says it is in fact a complex process that unfolds when girls have access to quality education.
Quality Education
By quality education, she clarifies, she does not mean it is limited to good desks, chairs, and access to computers — all of which are important, as infrastructure matters. But what she really means is education underpinned by the principles of equality and inclusion, which lie at its very core.
Strengthening Systems
Speaking about the British Council’s work, Puranik mentions that the organisation focuses on strengthening the education system in collaboration with government bodies, institutions, and other partners. The aim, she explains, is to ensure equity and access for girls and to improve their learning outcomes across the system.
Breaking Barriers
Talking about the invisible barriers that girls face after gaining access to education, Puranik observes that, besides the visible barriers everyone is aware of, there are deeper, invisible ones. These, she explains, arise from years of social conditioning, stereotyping, and cultural norms that lead society to take decisions which may not maximise the potential of girls or serve their best interests.
Building Future-Ready Skills
On the subject of future-ready skills, Puranik says she sees these in terms of knowledge and skills. To begin with, she believes girls need to be environmentally literate, developing an understanding of pollution, biodiversity, climate change, eco-friendly measures, and green technology. She explains that many of these concepts are deeply embedded in STEM education — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — where learners develop a greater appreciation of environmental issues. While these ideas can also be explored through other subjects, she notes, they are strongly rooted in STEM.
Shared Responsibility for Change
When asked whether too much pressure is being placed on girls to solve problems they did not create, Puranik offers a different view. She says that the burden is never on any one gender, stressing that climate change and environmental issues are gender-agnostic. According to her, they are not a girls’ issue at all but a societal one that concerns girls, boys, men, women, and the non-binary alike.
Puranik adds that the focus should be on encouraging girls, particularly because diverse leadership — where men and women share roles equally — leads to better and more balanced decision-making across organisations, including in government and sustainability sectors. She concludes that while it is vital to promote women’s participation, the burden cannot rest solely on girls. It is, she insists, a societal problem that must be addressed collectively.
