Anne Priya : A story of Women Empowerment
This International Women's Day, we share the story of Anne Priya, our Programme Manager from India who leads the empowerment of marginalised women and girls in the country.
Humble beginnings
“I want every woman and girl to know that their voice counts; their concerns matter”, says Anne Priya, our Programme Manager from Terre des Hommes Netherlands in India. Anne has worked for the upliftment of women and young girls for over 15 years, having journeyed as a daughter, wife and mother herself over this time.
With a Master's degree in Commerce, her journey into the world of development began with a role as an accountant for a non-profit organisation, and a subsequent role at Terre des Hommes in the programme team. She did not expect that her little steps would one day pave the way for profound impact in the lives of many.
“I was very nervous and I didn’t know how I would fit in. I still remember that I had to travel to Hosur from my hometown Madurai (cities in India) for my job. The new city and the new workplace were quite overwhelming”, she says vividly recollecting her first day at Terre des Hommes. “I remember my manager treating me to a meal. That made me smile!”.
Today, Hosur is Anne’s home and her work in development has become her identity.
Learning on the job
In her early years at Terre des Hommes, Anne found her calling in engaging with people at the grassroots. She spent a lot of time with women from the slums and walked alongside them in facilitating their access to microfinance.
“Most of my learning has happened on the job. My first proud achievement was addressing the root causes of poverty among 50 women by enabling livelihood opportunities for them. These women were able to send their children to school”, she says with tremendous joy.
Her work introduced her to various segments of society, including sex workers and transgender individuals. This helped her in pushing boundaries and broadening her outlook.
“I used to be very rigid as a person. My work has made me more flexible. I still look to find ways to be more easy-going at work”, she said speaking of her learnings at work, more specifically on embodying the organisation’s ‘playful’ core value.
Anne has now been with Terre des Hommes for over a decade; a period filled with progress, camaraderie, and impactful initiatives. In her current role, she leads the socio-economic development and empowerment of early-married girls through our IMAGE project. The tragic enormity of child marriage cases deeply affected her, fuelling her will to create an impact.
Empowering early married girls
“I knew of child marriage but I did not truly know the scale of the issue. When I visited a village in Karnataka, India, I saw a young girl, as old as my daughter, undergoing a very challenging pregnancy. I was so sad. This could have been my daughter”, she says.
Through her team’s efforts Anne was able to change the narrative of early married girls in Karnataka - from victims to empowered individuals.
“I recall a picture that I received from the field. A girl was sitting and reading a book. Her husband was next to her taking care of their child. The family was travelling to an exam centre for the girl to complete her high school graduation”, says Anne. “This is impact; it goes beyond numbers”.
Anne has also seen early married girls who were earlier confined and distressed, speak confidently in front of large crowds, advocating for change and preventing child marriages. Anne’s vision is to contribute to the organisation’s strategic goal of facilitating child participation where she sees children actively participate in shaping policies.
“Early married girls lack access to many government schemes and entitlements. We want to change that!”, she says.
Anne's support system
Anne derives the strength from her family that helps her thrive professionally. “I am blessed to have a supportive family. My husband packs my bags for all my field visits”, she says with a lot of gratitude. When she finds time, she loves to read romance novels, a hobby she has been cherishing over the years.
Anne looks towards the future with a strong resolve; a determination to be an anchor in the lives of countless women and girls in need. With each project she undertakes, each life she impacts, she continues to be a champion for change.
Note : 4 words in the article (not in quotes) have been sourced with the help of AI tools.