On National Girl Child Day, 30 adolescent girls from seven Sphoorthi districts of Karnataka met six senior women officials of the Government of Karnataka. The meeting gave the girls an opportunity to meet inspiring female achievers and understand from them what it takes to work in public service.  

Ms Vandita Sharma, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka; Ms Uma Mahadevan, Additional Chief Secretary (Panchayat Raj), Department of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj; Ms Priyanka Mary Francis, Commissioner, Panchayat Raj; Ms Shilpa Nag, Commissioner, Rural Development, Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj; Ms Shubha Kalyan, Director e-Government, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj; and Ms P Hemalatha, Secretary, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, met with small groups of girls at their offices in Vidhana Soudha, M S Buildings and the Commissionerate Rural Development.  

The girls shared their personal stories of struggle and issues in their villages. They discussed child marriages, school dropouts, menstrual hygiene issues and education. The officials motivated these girls to stay strong and reiterated the fact that girls have the strength to conquer all odds. The officers also shared their personal journeys and offered a brief insight into their professional lives.  

“Meeting Shilpa ma’am was inspiring since she motivated us to stay focused and think positively to achieve our goals. Vidhan Soudha was something I had only heard about, so seeing it in person made me so happy. Bengaluru was an experience I will never forget,” said Anitha, who lives in Koppal.