ActionAid’s work in India has found that the deliberate neglect of girl babies is deeply engrained in some parts of the country.

Asha Singh is working to stop India’s daughters from disappearing. She is a women’s rights campaigner with Prayatn, an ActionAid partner organisation active in Morena.

"Here in India women are blamed for all that is wrong in society. Men feel they can inflict pain, shame and dishonour on women because we are powerless to fight back. I am determined to try and change this. I’m a trained lawyer but have been working as an activist fighting against sex discrimination for five years.

"Every month I travel by motorbike to over 25 towns and villages talking to women about their rights and asking them to recognise the valuable place they hold in our society. I want to help reduce discrimination against women and stop the violence against girls happening at every level of our society.

"India’s disappearing daughters are a national shame. It’s also hard to witness how much neglect there is of girls in some of the villages I work in. Change doesn’t come easily but I am convinced we can change things for the better in India. I’m proud I’ve become a role model for many girls in rural areas."

Donate to our women's rights projects and support the work of women like Asha