Language and Power: How English Is Changing Girls’ Lives in Conservative Communities

In a small village on the edge of Rajasthan, 13-year-old Anjali sits cross-legged on a thin mat, her notebook open in her lap. Outside, her younger brothers chase a rubber ball, unaware of the quiet revolution happening just steps away. On the page, she’s written one word: doctor. Beneath it, a careful sketch of a stethoscope. And beside it, in neat but determined letters: “I want to help girls like me.”

Anjali is learning English.

Not in a big school. Not with a computer. But in a small room behind a temple, taught by a local woman who once sat in that very spot, dreaming the same dream.

She’s one of hundreds of girls in Hope Through English (HTE) programs across rural and conservative regions of India—places where girls are often expected to stay quiet, marry young, and follow paths laid out for them long before they were born. In these communities, English isn’t just another subject. It’s a key. A quiet, powerful tool that unlocks doors no one said they could open.

Why English? Because It’s a Safe Way In

In many parts of rural India, sending a girl to school beyond primary level can be controversial. But English? That’s different.

It’s seen as “just a skill.” Neutral. Useful. Academic. Not a challenge to tradition. So parents are more willing to let their daughters attend a neighborhood class—even if they wouldn’t allow them to travel to a distant high school.

But behind that quiet acceptance lies something deeper.

English gives girls a way to learn—without breaking rules.

A way to grow—without causing conflict.

A way to speak—without shouting.

“We’ve seen it again and again,” says Meena Patel, HTE’s Gender Equity Coordinator in Gujarat. “When a girl learns English, her world doesn’t just get bigger. It gets louder. She starts asking questions. She starts believing she can lead.”

Learning in the Spaces That Matter

Most of these classes don’t happen in formal schools. They happen where girls are already allowed to be:

A neighbor’s courtyard under a neem tree

A room in a local temple or community center

A quiet corner of a women’s self-help group or sewing circle

In Uttar Pradesh, HTE started “Girls’ Learning Circles”—small groups of 6 to 10 girls, taught by young women from the same village. The girls come quietly, often escorted by a mother or sister. No protests. No fanfare. Just learning.

The lessons are simple: basic words, songs, stories. But the impact? Anything but small.

One 14-year-old, Priya, said, “This is the only place I can ask anything. In English class, I feel like I matter.”

By framing English as a practical skill—not a challenge to tradition—HTE earns trust. Parents see their daughters gaining confidence, not defiance. And slowly, minds begin to change.

From Student to Leader

When a girl learns English, she doesn’t just gain vocabulary. She gains value.

In many families, girls are the first to read anything outside of schoolbooks or religious texts. That makes them stand out—not as rebels, but as helpers.

They start tutoring younger siblings.

They help their mothers read medicine labels.

They translate letters from government offices or health workers.

They read notices about scholarships, vaccination camps, or ration distribution.

And over time, they become leaders.

In Bihar, 16-year-old Sunita joined an evening English class with her cousin. Within a year, she was leading warm-up games. The next year, she began teaching a beginner group herself.

“I never thought anyone would call me ‘Teacher,’” she said, smiling. “Now, even my father says, ‘Ask Sunita. She’ll know.’”

Stories like Sunita’s are repeating across HTE programs in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana. Girls who once looked down when spoken to now stand tall. They’re not just changing their own futures. They’re changing what people believe girls are capable of.

Language Is Power—and Power Is Gendered

Let’s be honest: who gets to speak which language isn’t random. In many villages, boys are taught English first. They get the jobs. They travel. They represent the family.

Girls? They’re expected to stay quiet.

So when a girl stands up and says, “Hello, my name is Meera, and I want to be a nurse,” in clear English—it’s not just a sentence.

It’s a shift.

HTE knows this. That’s why our programs are built with intention:

Girls get priority for learning kits and scholarships

Teachers are women from the community—often former HTE students

Lessons include words like rights, health, future, leader, dream

Families are invited to orientation sessions to understand the long-term benefits

Even small choices matter. Letting girls write their own stories in English gives them a voice they may never have had before.

“When a girl introduces herself in English,” Meena says, “it changes how others see her—and how she sees herself.”

Working Around the Rules

In some places, girls aren’t allowed to own phones. Or go online. Or even be seen with a book that isn’t part of schoolwork.

So HTE finds ways around the barriers.

We print mini-booklets with pictures and simple lessons—easy to hide in a satchel.

We use community loudspeakers during quiet hours to broadcast daily English words.

We load audio lessons onto USB drives that families can play on shared devices.

We run mother-daughter classes so learning becomes family time.

In Chhattisgarh, a group of girls shares one solar-powered audio player. They call it their “talking notebook.” It moves from house to house, and each girl records a sentence in English before passing it on.

In Tamil Nadu, English lessons are broadcast on local radio during evening hours. Girls listen with their families. One mother said, “Now my daughter teaches me the words we both heard. It’s like we’re learning together.”

No internet. No smartphones. Just learning—quiet, steady, and unstoppable.

Facing Resistance—with Respect

Not every community welcomes girls learning English. Some see it as unnecessary. Others spread rumors. In a few places, families have pulled their daughters out of class.

But HTE doesn’t respond with confrontation. We respond with connection.

Local women—often former students—step in as mentors. They talk to parents. They explain: This isn’t about leaving tradition. It’s about giving your daughter tools to thrive within it.

In a village in Haryana, a teacher named Kavita invited hesitant mothers to sit in on classes. “They realized we weren’t changing their daughters,” she said. “We were helping them grow.”

And when families see their daughters helping at home, speaking with confidence, staying in school longer—attitudes begin to shift.

“Change doesn’t come from force,” Meena says. “It comes from trust.”

The Ripple Effect

When one girl learns English, the impact spreads.

She helps her siblings with homework.

She becomes the go-to translator in her neighborhood.

She stays in school longer.

She shows other girls what’s possible.

In places where women’s roles have long been narrowly defined, English becomes a quiet rebellion. Not loud. Not angry. But persistent.

HTE’s data shows that girls who complete just one year of English:

Are 40% more likely to stay in school

Are 60% more likely to delay early marriage

Are over 70% more likely to dream of a career

Numbers don’t tell the whole story. But they confirm what we see every day: language shapes lives.

Safety First

HTE never puts girls at risk. Every decision is made with care:

Classes are small and discreet

Timings are set around household routines (after chores, before dinner)

Locations are safe and familiar—never isolated

Teachers are trained in cultural sensitivity, child protection, and emergency response

The goal isn’t to force change.

It’s to support the change families are ready for.

Because real progress doesn’t come from breaking things.

It comes from building—slowly, respectfully, together.

More Than a Language

Teaching English to girls in rural India is about far more than grammar.

It’s about giving them a language in which to dream.

To ask questions.

To hope.

To lead.

English becomes:

A mirror—where they see themselves as capable, smart, strong.

A megaphone—where their voices are finally heard.

We’ve seen girls who once couldn’t say their names become teachers.

Daughters who now teach their mothers.

Stories written in notebooks turn into life goals.

For many of these girls, English isn’t the final destination.

But it’s the first step.

A step toward literacy.

A step toward choice.

A step toward freedom.

And sometimes, all a girl needs is that first step—and someone willing to walk beside her.