How these girls of Machhrauli village in Haryana are giving wings to their dreams through football

Historically, Haryana has had one of the lowest sex ratios in the country. Though the past five years saw considerable improvement in the sex ratio at birth (SRB), the first seven months of this year has shown a backward trend, with the ratio dipping from 923 to 914.

The region has also been rife with patriarchy, gender stereotypes, and sexual violence against women. Shocking recent reports include mol ki bahuein, where thousands of women from across the country are bought as mail-order brides for the men in Haryana or the case where a woman was locked up in a toilet for one-and-a-half years by her husband in Panipat district.

In the midst of gender disparity, patriarchal mindsets, and discrimination, a group of young girls from Machhrauli, a village in Jhajjar district, is busting stereotypes — one football game at a time.

These avid footballers have formed a team of 30 and for the first time, allowing themselves to dream – of higher education, a career, and even playing for the country.

In 2014, non-profit organisation Breakthrough India adopted Machhrauli village for its Taaron Ki Toli (TKT) programme, a gender equity curriculum for adolescents that runs in the village school. Through fortnightly classes of 45 minutes each, students are taught to recognise and understand gender-based discrimination and violence in their lives and around them.

On-ground officials of the programme also speak to parents regularly on the importance of girls’ education and how they should support their dreams.

As an offshoot of the Taaron Ki Toli programme, a football team that had been set up by a teacher in the school was revived recently. Through playing football, they are also learning to hold their own, speak up against discriminatory practices, and above all, have an aim in life — whether it’s for higher education or professional football.

Sport for change

HerStory spoke to a few girls Machhrauli village, members of this football team, who have become the change they wished to see.

Manoj Kumar, a community developer for Breakthrough in Jhajjar district joins in the conversation, urging the shy girls to speak about their dreams and achievements. Their connect is heart-warming, with Manoj interspersing the conversation by addressing them as beti (daughter). He also pitches in as a translator when needed, for the Haryanvi dialect can sometimes be difficult to comprehend for the unfamiliar.

Sushma came to know of the Taaron Ki Toli programme through her younger sister Seema who was a part of it. Passionate about yoga, Sushma has won competitions at the district level. Both Seema and Heena, who were part of the football told her about it and they suggested she join too.

“I was hesitant initially but when I watched the girls play, I decided I must join too. It was an uphill task for me to convince my parents but once they agreed, there was looking back,” Sushma says, “For two days, I watched the team play, and on the third day, my mind was made up.”

“After I cut my hair short and started playing football, I looked like a boy and was able to walk around the village and also travel on public transport without fear,” she adds with a laugh.

She learnt all about gender discrimination and other relevant social issues through her sister Seema and this instilled both confidence and courage in her as she made up her mind to choose football as a career.

Heena, a Class 10 student started playing football while she was in Class 6. She attended all classes of Taaron Ki Toli, which she says, made her look at life in a different way. From convincing her parents to allow her to play football and also wear trousers and shirt and cut her hair short, she has indeed come a long way.

“Earlier, I used go for a run in the morning and my family insisted I take my younger brother along. He was supposed to be my protector because he was a boy. When I told my mother I wanted to run alone, she refused saying the environment in the village was not safe for a girl running alone. I complained to my aunt, and in the end, also convinced her to send her daughter Mansi to run along with me saying that it would be a healthy practice,” Heena says.

“When I cut my hair short, the villagers taunted me and said I looked like a boy and no one would marry me. They also said since I practised football in the sun, my skin would become dark and all these unwanted opinions would affect my parents,” she adds.

But when she brought home gold medal, she says, her parents felt extremely proud of her and the villagers rallied around with congratulatory messages. She now wants to be a professional footballer and also have a government job in the future.

Seema started playing football in 2018 and is blessed to have the support of her parents all the way. A girl of very few words, she says her only aim is play football and bring laurels to the country.

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Leaders for life

Meena Rani, District Manager for Breakthrough in Jhajjar, who has been working with the Taaron Ki Toli programme for eight years says,

“When we adopted Machhrauli village and decided to revive the defunct girls’ football team, we were up against both casteist and patriarchal mindsets. Only boys were allowed to take up sport, and most girls were not allowed to leave the village to pursue a higher education.”

She met the girls, their teachers, and also their parents to convince them it would be a good idea. It was an uphill task to make them understand that sports followed a specific uniform and short hair would be ideal for play. Though there were dropouts, the team was slowly built up and now boasts 30 girls, all motivated enough to leave the village and play in different tournaments.

Their coach Manisha, as well as team leaders Heena and Sanju are also encouraging young girls to play. They also visit the parents regularly to reiterate the importance of allowing their girls to take their dreams forward.

Like Sushma, Seema, and Heena, several other girls of Machhrauli village are using the knowledge from their Taaron Ki Toli classes to negotiate for their rights – to dream, to play and have a bright future.

They are pushing through age-old statements like, “Why should girls play football?”, “Who will marry you if you look like a boy?” “girls should not step out the village… and asking, “Why can’t we wear shorts and play football?” and “why is the birth of a girl child not celebrated?”

With the Phogat sisters, Ritu, Sangita, and Babita showing them the way, these girls are all set to kick patriarchy and stereotypes out of the park – and the game has just begun.