The multiple career opportunities for girls in rural India

Educate Girls has been working tirelessly to identify girls who are out of school, mainly in the rural parts of India and once they are identified, we take it on as our responsibility to ensure that these girls are enrolled into a school nearby. 

Having worked with more than a million girls over the past many years, we have seen how education can transform lives. When the reach of female education in rural areas in India sees an improvement, there is an improvement in not only the lives of these girls, but also in the society and community they live in. 

It fills us with pride when the girls we helped enrol into school, not only complete their education but go on to build a wonderful life for themselves! By gaining meaningful employment, they become self-reliant, independent and contribute to building a better country too.

The most popular occupations

In the several years that we have been working with rural communities and the bright girls we help bring back to the classrooms, we have observed some occupations and professions being quite popular. Several of these choices are made by the girls, due to the education they gain – through their classroom learning, they can see how a particular career choice would not only change the direction of their own lives, but also those of the people around them. 

Here are the 7 most popular career opportunities girls from rural areas tend to choose:

1. Teachers – When the girls are enrolled in schools, they can explore a wide world that was once not accessible to them. Within the walls of the classroom, they are able to see how a teacher can not only help them learn but also show them different perspectives in life. By becoming teachers themselves, they can carry on the legacy of passing knowledge and information to other girls like their own selves. 
2. Doctors – A lack of education often brings on several health and medical-related problems – from not having the right information during menstruation to minimal access to medical facilities during childbirth. For many girls, issues like these become the inspiration and they choose to travel down the path of medicine. By becoming qualified doctors, they are able to help their own society lead a healthier and better life and this becomes their way of giving back to the society too. 
3. Engineers – Although engineering might not be a more chosen occupation for girls, especially those who come from rural areas, there are a few who are choosing the same, because they realise the development they could bring to their community with the education. As engineers, these girls will be able to help improve the existing infrastructure of their area – whether it is helping build better homes, improving condition of the roads or setting up solar panels to generate electricity, there is plenty an educated girl from the rural areas of the country could go on to do! 
4. Agriculture – When we talk, in general, about occupations in rural areas, farming has to be a primary one and it is interesting to see that several girls, after completing their schooling are choosing to learn more about modern farming methods. By doing so, they are able to continue living in their village, but by bringing in modern methods of agriculture to their communities, they are able to improve crop yields, help reduce crop wastage and even introduce concepts such as drip irrigation and even organic farming! 
5. Government services – Another one of the most popular careers for females who come from rural areas and get an education are government services. By becoming a part of the local administrative system; whether it is joining the local village office or becoming a part of the offices that function at the central level, they are able to bring about real change. Moreover, as part of the local community, they are able to voice the concerns of the people, to those in power and this allows for work to be done more efficiently and effectively. 
6. Politics – They say, if you want to bring change, you have to be the change and what greater way to affect change than being part of the governance. By joining mainstream politics, one can actually affect policies and bring about real change. As a leader of the community, they can even join hands with NGOs to influence the community to bring about positive changes. For instance, a female educated leader would be able to help convince parents to send their daughters to school so that they too can go on to become leaders in their own right! 
7. Entrepreneurs – One of the best career options for girls from rural areas could be one where they are employing others like themselves! As entrepreneurs, they will be able to accord job opportunities to several other people, while making a living of their own. Whether they choose to make handicrafts or clothing items or they choose to do something a lot more large scale, an education would arm these girls with the knowledge and the confidence to make it big! 

The fact is that when girls in rural areas have an education, the job opportunities in rural areas will also see a rise – Educate Girls is working in a direction that is similar to this. By bringing more girls back to school, we are providing them an opportunity to soar and when you donate to educate girls, you are adding feathers to those very special wings!