CREATING AN EQUAL WORLD BY CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE SEE WOMEN AND GIRLS.
Breakthrough works to end inequality that limits girls’ and women’s lives and to expand their freedom to learn, choose, and lead.
We begin with young people. With girls and boys who question unfair rules, imagine different futures, and act with courage. When beliefs change, lives change and communities begin to move toward equality.
When girls and women are free to shape their own futures, families are stronger, economies grow, and societies everywhere benefit.
Breakthrough was recognized for being a leader in advancing gender equality in India. Times of India, the country's largest newspaper group, awarded Breakthrough under the 'Leadership in Advancing Gender Equality' category as a part of their Social Impact Honours in 2025. The award is the first of its kind in recognizing and honoring work done with respect to gender equality.
Our Vision
A world where girls and women live without fear of violence or inequality and with the freedom to learn, choose, and lead. A world where equality is not the exception, but the norm.
India is home to the world’s largest population of adolescents. Yet for millions of girls and women, deeply rooted norms and unequal systems still determine what is possible.
Why This Work Matters in India
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Nearly 40% of girls drop out before completing secondary school, often due to pressure of household responsibilities, safety concerns, or pressure to marry.
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One in four girls still marry as a child, limiting education and economic independence.
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Gender-based violence and harassment restrict girls’ mobility, confidence, and participation in public life.
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Girls are often discouraged from pursuing higher education or careers beyond traditional roles.
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Beliefs about gender shape what girls and boys are taught to expect of their futures.
What This Looks Like
Monet Goode
Choosing Education
With support from Breakthrough, a teenage girl gained the confidence and family support to continue her education.
Emmett Marsh
Redefining Masculinity
A young man learned to question harmful ideas about manhood and now advocates for equality in his community.
Opening New Futures
Once unsure of her options, a young woman discovered new career possibilities and is now pursuing a profession she chose for herself.
How We Do It
Direct Work with Young People and their Communities
Breakthrough works directly with adolescents and young people, primarily between ages 11 and 25 through engagement in schools and communities across multiple states in India.
Through Breakthrough facilitated sessions and conversations in the schools and villages, young people build:
Confidence and self-awareness
Communication and negotiation skills
Leadership and critical thinking
Knowledge about gender, rights, health, and relationships
Girls are supported to stay in school, delay early marriage, and speak about their aspirations. Boys and young men are encouraged to question harmful ideas about masculinity and become allies in building equality. Breakthrough invests deeply in leadership development, supporting young leaders to organize, facilitate conversations, and lead local action that promotes gender equality.
Community engagement extends this work beyond classrooms. Breakthrough works with parents, caregivers, health workers, and community leaders to reinforce positive change and challenge harmful practices at the family and community level.
Building Equal Classrooms through Government Partnerships
Breakthrough partners with state governments and education departments to bring a strong gender lens into public education systems.
Using a train-the-trainer model, Breakthrough:
Builds teachers’ understanding of gender, inclusion, and adolescent development
Supports school leaders to create safer and more respectful learning environments
Provides teaching aids and digital resource libraries
Works with education ministries to support effective implementation and scale
The goal is systemic change, so gender equality is embedded not just in programs, but in how classrooms function every day.
Media and Digital for Progressive Storytelling
Breakthrough began its work using media, storytelling and culture remain central to its strategy.
Through films, music, digital platforms, and social media, Breakthrough creates stories that challenge harmful norms and open space for new ways of thinking. These stories reach young people where they already are, in ways that they best understand.
Breakthrough also equips young people with storytelling skills, enabling them to share their own experiences, spark conversations, and influence culture within their communities and beyond
Our Impact
To date, Breakthrough has reached more than 2.3 million adolescents and young people ages 11–25 across India.
Because of this work:
Girls are staying in school, delaying marriage, and choosing their own life paths
Young women are entering education and careers once considered out of reach
Boys and young men are becoming allies by standing up for equality and sharing responsibilities
These shifts ripple outward, strengthening families, schools, and public systems.
Why U.S Support Matters
U.S. philanthropy plays a critical role in advancing long-term, systemic change. Your partnership helps scale proven approaches, strengthen public systems, and amplify the voices of young people reshaping what equality looks like locally and globally.
When girls and women in India live with safety, dignity, and opportunity, the impact reaches far beyond borders.