Women in Agriculture

Lesson 15 : Girl Stars’ Stories

Lalita, Karate Teacher

Lalita, a tenacious young woman who has overcome great barriers because of her place as a female in the lowest caste in India, teaches a karate class to other young girls at Mahila Shikshan Kendra, a Women's Education Center, in the block of Amos which is a cluster of villages located near the city of Patna in Bihar, India July 12, 2003. Bihar is the poorest state in India and women suffer greatly because of the poverty, lack of education and opportunities.

Most of the girls who are attending the eight month course have had to overcome tremendous resistance from families and a society entrenched in the weight of a caste system which discourages those from the lower castes to be educated, especially women. The centers are being funded by the World Bank although it was initially started by UNICEF .