Mumbai: CRY’s art installation at Kalaghoda Festival highlights the absence of higher education amongst girls.
January 25, 2025: The first day of Kalaghoda Festival in Mumbai’s Cross Maidan was witness to a unique art installation by child rights NGO, Child Rights and You – CRY.
‘Girl Interrupted’ created by artist Ankit Khurana of Botanical Bias and commissioned by CRY aims to shine a spotlight on the sad reality of a large number of girls missing higher education in India.
It is 2025. We’ve reached Mars, yet only 3 out of 5 girls in India have made it to secondary education – over 19 million girls between 15-19 years are out of school! This is a huge missed opportunity for us as a nation because higher education for girls has a ripple effect – it impacts not just the girl’s future employment prospects, her health, the education and health of her future children, but also the community she will bring changes to and the country’s economy.
What has interrupted the education and aspirations of these 19 million girls? Societal norms, gender biases, financial constraints and fear for their safety are just some of the factors.
A larger-than-life ladder representing the infinite possibilities and potential of every girl, takes centre stage. The interruptions that girls face in realising their potential are starkly highlighted by the missing steps. The installation also honours the optimism and strength of girls who face these barriers and battle the odds, the girl in the piece isn’t beaten – she looks onwards and upwards!
Kreeanne Rabadi, Regional Director, CRY -West says, “We hope this installation compels all of us to take cognisance and responsibility for the part we all play individually and collectively as a society in this interrupted journey for so many girls and forces us to think about what we can do to enable every girl to reach her potential.”
The art installation is made from locally sourced bamboo, cane, metal and jute, underling the artists commitment to sustainable practices. The installation is on display till February 2, 2025 at Cross Maidan, Mumbai.
