“When my daughter was born, people did not congratulate me, but they pitied me. Some even asked me when I would try again for a son. I remember holding my baby and wondering why her arrival did not bring happiness to others, even though she meant everything to me,” recalls Malti Dixit, a mother from Treveni village in Banda district, Uttar Pradesh.
“In our village, when a girl was born, there was no celebration. There was worry about her future, her marriage, and the expenses. Even I had those fears once. It felt as though a daughter came with questions rather than joy,” adds Gomtiben Hardik Kumar Thakkar, a sarpanch (village head) from Karshanpur in Mehsana district, Gujarat.
For years, the birth of a girl child in many rural homes carried a silent weight. It appeared in cautious smiles, conversations about marriage and expenses, and the sense that a daughter’s arrival came with worries before joy.
Across hundreds of villages in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, that response is beginning to change. At the heart of this shift is Dr Ebha Patel, a 38-year-old from Khadepur, whose initiative, ‘Ghar Ayee Nanhi Pari’, began in 2019 and was formally registered in July 2021. It has since celebrated the births of more than 9,000 girls, encouraging families to welcome daughters with pride.
‘She never waited for permission’
Growing up in Khadepur, Ebha noticed subtle inequalities between boys and girls. Certain freedoms were expected, choices limited, and restrictions rarely verbalised but deeply felt.
At the heart of this shift is Dr Ebha Patel, a 38-year-old from Khadepur, whose initiative, ‘Ghar Ayee Nanhi Pari’, began in 2019 and was formally registered in July 2021.
“There were things we simply understood without anyone telling us. Where we could go, what we could study, what we could become, all of it seemed to have limits for girls,” she tells The Better India.
As the second daughter, she felt these expectations keenly and saw how differently boys were treated. Her grandmother offered another vision, moving through the village with purpose and humility, listening, guiding and acting without seeking recognition.
“She never waited for permission to do something good. She simply did it, and people trusted her because they knew her intentions were genuine,” Ebha says. “That sense of service and integrity stayed with me and shaped the way I approach everything today.”
Becoming her village’s first woman engineer
While many girls in her village were guided towards predictable paths, Ebha chose computer science engineering, uncommon for women in her region. In 2010, she became the village’s first female engineer.
“There were always questions about why I chose this field and why I studied so much, but I felt that if I did not take that step, nothing would change for the girls who would come after me,” she says.
She went on to complete a PhD in artificial intelligence, focusing on health and agriculture applications and practical solutions that could improve the lives of rural women and children.
“When you come from a village, you do not just study for yourself. You carry your experiences with you. I wanted to understand how I could use what I had learnt to make a tangible difference at the ground level,” she explains.
Her career took her to The Times of India and Zee News. She collaborated with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, and was involved in Aarogya Setu, DigiLocker, UMANG and the Mother and Child Tracking System.
Yet one memory from home continued to trouble her. Many girls she had grown up with were married very young. By the time Ebha completed graduation, some of their children were already old enough to speak.
“They started calling me mausi (maternal aunt), and I felt a strange discomfort. We were the same age, we had started from the same place, but our lives had taken completely different paths,” she recalls. “I kept asking myself why their opportunities ended so early? Why was this considered normal?”
‘The idea made people uncomfortable’
Those questions eventually pushed Ebha towards action in her own community. In 2019, Ghar Ayee Nanhi Pari began with a simple vision: celebrate the birth of a girl child.
With no large team or elaborate plan, Ebha visited villages, speaking with mothers, fathers and elders about welcoming daughters. Her CEO, Sachin Chaudhary, supported her throughout, helping turn conversations into community connections.
The response at first was discouraging.
“We went to about 20 houses, and most of them would not even let us speak. Some shut their doors, others said it was unnecessary. It was difficult to face that,” she recalls.
With no large team or elaborate plan, Ebha visited villages, speaking with mothers, fathers and elders about welcoming daughters.
Even then, she continued. “If people were uncomfortable even hearing about it, that only showed how hardwired these thoughts were. That discomfort meant we had to continue.”
With time, patient conversations opened the way to curiosity, understanding and acceptance.
When joy found its way home
The idea gradually took form. Families were invited to panchayat (village council) halls, where newborn girls and their mothers were honoured with certificates bearing the child’s name and information about government schemes available to the family. For many mothers, it was the first time they felt recognised, supported and proud.
“We wanted mothers to feel proud, not judged. That was very important to us,” Ebha explains.
One memory remains vivid. “There was a mother walking to the panchayat with her baby, dressed beautifully, smiling in a way I had never seen before. When I asked her where she was going, she said her daughter was being honoured. That expression on her face said everything.”
Across Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, hundreds of sarpanches and pradhans (village heads) helped Ebha take the initiative to remote communities.
In Saharanpur, Rita Chaudhary, pradhan of Tharoli panchayat, remembers the early hesitation. “People were unsure. They would ask why we needed such celebrations. But gradually, when they saw other families participating, they began to understand. Now, families come forward themselves. That change is very real,” she says.
Satyaveer Chaudhary, pradhan of Sahora panchayat in Shahjahanpur, describes a wider shift. “This initiative has changed the atmosphere of the village. Earlier, the birth of a girl brought worry and hesitation; families feared the cost of her upbringing, and conversations about daughters were often hushed or negative. Today, people openly celebrate her arrival, they ask about her health and education, and they take pride in supporting her growth. The mindset has shifted from seeing a daughter as a burden to recognising her as a valued member of the family and community,” he says.
Niharika, pradhan of Basai Mohammadpur panchayat in Firozabad, has seen the same emotional change. “Earlier, welcoming a daughter was met with worry and hesitation. Today, families openly rejoice, sharing their happiness with neighbours and village elders. There is a sense of belonging that was missing before,” she says.
What came after the celebration
Over time, Ebha realised that welcoming girls had to be followed by support for their health, nutrition and education. The initiative began working with Anganwadi centres, Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) to support timely vaccinations, antenatal care and access to the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram.
Across Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, hundreds of sarpanches and pradhans (village heads) helped Ebha take the initiative to remote communities.
“Once a child is welcomed, we have to make sure she is healthy and cared for. That responsibility is just as important as the celebration itself,” Ebha says.
The work expanded to women’s livelihoods. In Gujarat, women received automated dairy machines to reduce workload and increase earnings, while sewing, embroidery and vocational training opened avenues for independent income.
“When women begin to earn, even a little, it changes how they see themselves and how others see them. That confidence spreads to their families and communities,” she adds.
For Malti, the celebration of her daughter changed something personal.
“After my daughter’s celebration, I stopped feeling afraid of what people would say, and I started feeling proud. That feeling gave me strength. Now I tell other mothers not to feel ashamed. I tell them to educate their daughters, so they can be successful in life, just as Ebha ma’am taught us,” she says.
Gomtiben describes a similar change.
“I used to worry when thinking about daughters. Now, I speak openly to others in my village and tell them that daughters are not a burden. This initiative gave me the confidence to say that, and I also encourage families to teach their daughters skills and educate them so they can stand on their own and succeed in life,” she says.
From 20 closed doors to 900 villages
Since 2019, Ghar Ayee Nanhi Pari has reached approximately 900 villages across Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, celebrating over 9,000 baby girls. It has helped implement nearly 600 government schemes and strengthened Anganwadi centres across both states, improving access to healthcare, nutrition and timely vaccinations.
Ebha hopes to expand the initiative to other states, carrying forward the message that every girl deserves to be welcomed with dignity, celebrated with joy, and supported with care.
The Honourable Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Shrimati Anandiben Patel, recognised the initiative by awarding Anganwadi kits valued at Rs 6.5 lakh. Given to panchayats and directly to sarpanches, they included educational materials, nutritional supplies and tools for early childhood development. For Ebha, seeing these centres grow is the real reward.
“Earlier, people would worry about having a daughter. Now they ask about her education and her future. That shift in mindset is what matters most,” she says.
There is still much work ahead.
“There are many places where girls are still not given equal opportunities. We have to go to these villages in the coming years,” she says.
Ebha hopes to expand the initiative to other states, carrying forward the message that every girl deserves to be welcomed with dignity, celebrated with joy, and supported with care.
“Every celebration sends a message. It may seem small, but it reaches people. Slowly, it changes how they think, and that change ripples through the generations,” she adds.
‘No mom should be ashamed of her daughter’s birth’
The initiative has grown through conversations, trust and persistence, but for Ebha, the work remains rooted in the reason she began.
Over time, Ebha realised that welcoming girls had to be followed by support for their health, nutrition and education.
“I started this because I felt that no mother should feel ashamed when her daughter is born. Every child deserves to be welcomed with love and joy. It is not about a programme or numbers; it is about changing mindsets and giving girls the value they have always deserved,” she says.
Her eyes reflect the same determination that took her from the first doors that closed to thousands of celebrations across two states.
For Malti, Gomtiben and thousands of families across Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, that change has begun to take a visible form: a daughter’s arrival is increasingly being met with welcome, celebration and pride.
All pictures courtesy Dr Ebha Patel.
