India, February 6, 2025: Milaan Foundation, a nonprofit social impact organization working to empower adolescent girls nationwide, has released the Impact Assessment Report for its flagship Girl Icon Program. Launched in 2015, the program strives to provide life-skills-based leadership training to adolescent girls aged 12–18 across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, who in turn mentor groups of 20 Peer Girls from their local communities. To date, the program has impacted over 1,00,000 girls. Over the years, the communities in which the program functions have demonstrated measurable improvements in education, leadership, digital literacy, health awareness, and financial empowerment.
The study assessed the program’s impact on 65 Girl Icons, 403 Peer Girls, and 403 Control Group participants. Girl Icons are adolescent girls selected as program participants and trained as leaders within their communities, while Peer Girls are members of cohorts mobilized by the Girl Icons to expand the program’s reach at the grassroots level. The program has significantly improved educational outcomes, with 94% of Girl Icons and 92% of Peer Girls pursuing education, compared to 39% in the Control Group. Moreover, enrollment by Girl Icons (49%) in higher secondary education is nearly double that of the Control Group (25%).
The Girl Icon Program is also working to bridge the digital gender divide, with 97% of Girl Icons having smartphone access and 94% possessing email addresses, compared to only 72% and 40% among Peer Girls and 56% and 19% in the Control Group, respectively. This digital empowerment is opening doors to educational and career opportunities. The program has also driven a reduction in child marriages among Girl Icons, with 100% of Peer Girls remaining unmarried, in contrast to 32% of the Control Group. Additionally, health awareness has improved significantly, with 85% of Girl Icons understanding menstruation as normal, compared to 59% of the Control Group. Awareness of contraceptives and HIV/AIDS among Girl Icons stands at 76.9% and 90.7%, far exceeding the Control Group’s 24.1% and 35.7%.
The report also highlights the program’s positive impact on participant’s financial empowerment, with 91% of Girl Icons having savings accounts and 81% saving regularly,
compared to 67% and 70% in the Control Group. Alongside individual growth, the program has even driven community transformation through 1,600 Social Action Projects in the 2023-24 cohort, addressing issues such as education, menstrual health, and child marriage and impacting 239,408 community members.
Rati Misra, Executive Director of Milaan Foundation, said, “The findings of this report reaffirm the life-changing impact of the Girl Icon Program and inspire us to do more. With over 36,000 adolescent girls already empowered, we see this as just the beginning. By incorporating cultural sensitivity into menstrual health education, enhancing reproductive health workshops, and broadening our outreach, we aim to create a future where every girl can realize her full potential and lead her community toward a brighter tomorrow.”
The Milaan Foundation’s flagship initiative has also reshaped community perceptions, with 76.67% of community influencers expressing pride in having a Girl Icon represent their village. By cultivating a culture of inclusion and reducing gender and caste discrimination, the program is paving the way for a more equitable society.
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