Moms in Motion

This International Mothers’ Day, CRY salutes the fighting spirit of Deepali and Abhita, both victims of child marriage, who despite their family’s reluctance are working hard to empower themselves and society around them through education.

They are ushering in change in their own way. The lives of Deepali Ravindra Sukale and Abhita Rupesh Dagade both hailing from Solapur district of Maharashtra are worth taking a note of. Both victims of early child marriage and forced to drop out of school at the tender age of 14, these two women who are now mothers themselves, got back to finishing their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and are now pursuing higher studies while juggling their homes and children.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, child rights NGO Child Rights and You – CRY looks at the journey of these two mothers and the struggle they had to endure to get back to doing what they loved as a child, studying.

Large families, Early marriage

Hailing from Alsunde village in Karmala in Solapur district, 18 years ago, Deepali Ravindra Sukale’s family of eight members including her parents, grandparents, two brothers, a sister, migrated from their village to an urban area in search of better livelihood. Like many families from the NT-DNT (Nomadic Tribes–Denotified Tribes) communities in Karmala, they too faced severe economic hardships due to the lack of employment and basic resources in their village.

Her parents both worked as daily wage labourers in construction work earning a meagre Rs. 500 a day that was insufficient to meet their needs. This financial strain led to Deepali being married off at the age of 16. A victim of child marriage, Deepali took on household responsibilities at a very young age cutting her off from access to any form of education. However, the spark of learning never completely died and despite the odds, her desire to study remained alive.

Belonging to the Hindu Mati Wadar caste, Deepali studied up to Class 9 claims her favourite subject was Hindi. Unfortunately, due to family circumstances, she had to discontinue her education. Among her siblings, only one younger brother is currently studying in the 9th standard, while others have dropped out of school. In her family, post class 8 and 9, the girls are married off while the boys are engaged in child labour or traditional practices of the community like breaking stones for a living. Unaware of the importance of education, the community has a high rate of its children being forced into child marriage, child labour as well as into child begging. Deepali claims she too was married under pressure from her family. Today, she is the mother of a three-year-old daughter. When Deepali first expressed her desire to continue her education, her husband and other family members weren’t at all supportive because they believed that housewives are not supposed to study.

This was when CRY team visited her home multiple times and conducted individual meetings with her family members to explain the importance of education. Eventually, they gave in allowing her to enroll in the 10th standard. Though initially hesitant and lacking confidence due to her educational gap, Deepali slowly began to prepare for her exams with the support of personalized counselling. She started attending night classes at the Abasaheb Atre Night School, along with sessions at the activity center and eventually appeared for her SSC board exams where she passed with 56% marks! This boosted her confidence.

Deepali observes that many women in her community work as domestic helpers not because they want to, but because they don’t have a choice. “They want a life of dignity, and for that, education is important,” says Deepali who now raises her voice not only for herself but also for other women in her community. As an active member of the parents’ group, she participates enthusiastically in every initiative. Having lost her own chance at education due to child marriage, she is determined to raise awareness and ensure that other girls don’t suffer the same fate. She is currently studying Basic MS Office and Advanced Excel to build her skills further. But perhaps the most touching part of Deepali’s story is her unwavering resolution to make her daughter a doctor.

Breaking Barriers

Like Deepali, 28-year-old Abhita Rupesh Dagade who hails from Alsunde village in Karnal, Solapur also migrated 15 years ago with her family due to lack of livelihood. She was 13 at that time. In the Wadar community, it is common for girls to be prepared for marriage while still in school going age. Their emotional and physical development is rarely taken into consideration. This was the case for Abhita who was married off as a child. Hailing from an economically disadvantaged background, her parents worked as daily-wage construction labourers and with such financial struggles, investing in their children’s education is often seen as a burden by such families which is why they often marry off their daughters at an early age.

Abhita belongs to the Hindu Mati Wadar caste and completed her education up to Class 9 but had to discontinue her studies as the family began making arrangements for her marriage. Girls once having reach puberty are married off, while boys are taken out of school to begin working and contribute to the family income. However, determined to continue her education, she had pleaded with her parents to let her complete her 9th standard.

Abhita’s family consisted of 12 family members, including her grandparents, parents, five sisters, two brothers, and herself. In her family, no one has studied beyond the 10th standard. She was married off to Rupesh Bhimrao Dagade, her family relative. Before their marriage, Rupesh lived in Undegaon in Solapur district. However, after the wedding, his family relocated to the Ekta Nagar community due to a lack of livelihood opportunities in their hometown. Rupesh now works as a plumber in Pune, trying to support the family through his trade.

Abhita has one girl and one boy; while the girl is studying in Class 7, the boy is in Class 3.

Given this situation, her aspiration to take the 10th exam was courageous. An active member of the parents’ group formed by activity center, where monthly meetings are held to discuss a variety of topics related to education, parenting, and community development it was during one such meeting, that CRY team shared that students or parents who had not completed their 10th standard education could still do so. This reignited within her a long-standing desire to complete her education and expressed her wish to her in-laws, hoping to return to school. They denied as in her community, it is considered unacceptable for girls or women who have reached puberty or married to study or work outside.

Recognizing her determination, CRY engaged with her family, sensitively explaining the value of education for women. After several discussions, her family finally agreed to support her.

Abhita enrolled in a night school and began attending classes. Despite her daily household responsibilities, she managed to take time in the afternoons to visit the Activity Center, where she participated in additional learning sessions for one hour each day. Her dedication to her studies reflects her deep commitment to changing her future—and challenging the limitations placed on women in her community.

She successfully took her SSC exam and passed with a whopping 62%, a feat considering this was her first exam in 12 years. Abhita now dreams of completing her HSC and plans to start her new business of transport vehicles.

She took yet another bold step toward economic independence by enrolling in the women’s driving training program. Her long-term goal is to own a vehicle and provide transportation services for school children in her community—a service that is much needed and would allow her to generate a stable income while staying connected to her passion for helping children access education. Having struggled to pursue education herself, she understands the importance of making school accessible and safe, especially for girls. By becoming a female driver in a male-dominated field, she also hopes to set an example for other women to pursue non-traditional careers.