INDIA. Khajuarao. 08 November 2022.
Saniya, Dviya's sister, at her 14th birthday.

Divya Chaudhry, 16-year-old, lives in Tikuri district, in Madhya Pradesh the state with the fifth largest population in the India. The region boasts of a rich cultural and wildlife heritage but it’s hunted by drought and economic crisis. Malnutrition, hunger, high infant and child mortality are prevalent. While it witness a large scale migration, the gender ratio is skewed with 925 females per 1,000 men in Madhya Pradesh, compounding the already distressing situation.
Divya and her sister could choose to prioritise education in their life thanks to the role of their family. In spite of incredible social pressure, Divya’s parents chose to stop childbearing after their two daughters, considering their family complete. They wanted to invest all their resources into their daughters because unlike the popular narrative in their region, they did not consider their daughters a burden, but young girls who had untapped and unlimited potential.