What Girls Count does

Girls Count is a national-level nonprofit coalition founded in 2013 in New Delhi, India, focused on addressing gender-biased sex selection (GBSS) and declining child sex ratios. It operates as a convergence platform uniting over 300-400 civil society organizations across 24 Indian states, coordinated through a small five-person Secretariat in New Delhi. The coalition's work spans four programmatic pillars: community campaigns and mobilization around key dates such as International Women's Day and National Girl Child Day; advocacy targeting policymakers and parliamentarians; capacity building for CSOs, government health officials, and medical professionals on PC-PNDT Act compliance; and evidence-based research on the root causes of son preference and daughter unwantedness.

The coalition's product portfolio includes the Adopt a Panchayat initiative (enabling corporate CSR sponsorship of village-level interventions), the Non-Traditional Livelihoods program (training 1,600 women and girls in non-traditional occupations such as electrician, plumber, and e-rickshaw driver), scholarships and skill development support, field exposure visits for students, and an extensive publications library of policy briefs, training manuals, and case law compilations. There is no proprietary technology platform; the model is entirely human-driven advocacy and grassroots mobilization.

Girls Count's revenue is derived from three streams: corporate CSR partnerships (notably through Adopt a Panchayat and event sponsorship), individual donations and scholarships support, and development partner funding, with UNFPA having provided initial support during the 2012 genesis phase. As a nonprofit coalition with no publicly disclosed financial statements, its operating budget is not publicly quantified. The organization's distributed governance model, with a Steering Group of gender experts and activists, positions it as an institutional advocacy platform rather than a centralized service provider.

Name

Girls Count

Legal name

Girls Count

Website

https://girlscount.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Girls Count is a New Delhi-based nonprofit coalition founded in 2013, uniting over 300 civil society organizations across 24 Indian states to address gender-biased sex selection through advocacy, capacity building, research, and community mobilization programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gender Equality Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

Keywords

• Gender equality advocacy
• Civil society coalition
• Non-traditional livelihoods
• Child sex ratio
• Gender rights nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Partnerships: Girls Count partners with corporations to implement CSR initiatives such as the 'Adopt a Panchayat' program, where corporations support grassroots interventions in specific geographic areas aligned with their CSR objectives.
2. Individual Support and Donations: The coalition accepts individual contributions to support scholarships, vocational training, and skill development programs for women and girls.
3. UNFPA and Development Partner Funding: The coalition received initial support from UNFPA for regional consultations in 2012 that led to its founding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Girls Count operates as a national coalition of over 300–400 civil society organizations across India that addresses gender-biased sex selection and declining child sex ratios. Its core work comprises public campaigns, policy advocacy, capacity building of CSOs and government stakeholders, evidence-based research, and the Non-Traditional Livelihoods Program that trains women and girls in non-traditional occupations such as electrician, plumber, and mobile phone technician.

Product overview

Girls Count is a national coalition platform of over 350 civil society organizations across India, founded in 2013, focused on addressing gender-based discrimination and declining child sex ratios. The organization operates through multiple interconnected programs: advocacy and public campaigns to mobilize communities and challenge societal norms; capacity building to equip stakeholders with knowledge and tools; research and evidence generation to inform strategies; and the Non-Traditional Livelihoods Program to empower women and girls with skills for non-traditional occupations. Key initiatives include the Adopt a Panchayat program for CSR partnerships, field exposure visits for students, and individual support including scholarships. The coalition also produces resources including policy briefs, training materials, and reports on PC-PNDT Act implementation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adopt a Panchayat Initiative A CSR-aligned initiative where corporations and organizations can adopt a panchayat (village council) facing a decline in the number of girls at birth. Girls Count implements community awareness, family counseling, health worker capacity building, and medical doctor sensitization in the adopted area.
• Non-Traditional Livelihoods Program Skills training program equipping women and girls with skills for non-traditional occupations (electrician, plumber, e-rickshaw driver, carpenter, mobile phone technician) to challenge patriarchal gender roles and enhance the economic value of girls.
• Public Campaigns Program Community mobilization campaigns organized around key dates (International Women's Day, International Day of the Girl Child, National Girl Child Day) to address son preference and daughter unwantedness in communities across India.
• Capacity Building Program Workshops and training sessions at district, regional, and national levels for CSOs, government officials, medical practitioners, and stakeholders on addressing gender-biased sex selection and PC-PNDT Act compliance.
• Research and Evidence Generation Evidence-based research on trends, causes, and impacts of gender-biased sex selection, PC-PNDT Act implementation effectiveness, and the links between women's economic empowerment and cultural practices in India.
• Policy Advocacy Advocacy efforts at community and policy levels to strengthen policies promoting gender equality and address the root causes of declining child sex ratio, including engagement with Parliamentarians on legislative processes.
• Skill Development and Mentorship Provides mentorship and creates supportive networks for women and girls in non-traditional occupations, including educational and sports scholarships and vocational training for girls from families committed to gender equality.
• Field Exposure Visits Educational field visits offered to colleges and universities so students can experience grassroots interventions firsthand and gain a deeper understanding of gender issues and efforts to address them.
• Event Sponsorship Program Corporate engagement opportunity to sponsor events organized on significant occasions like International Women's Day, International Day of the Girl Child, and National Girl Child Day across different regions of India.
• Volunteering and Internship Program Flexible volunteer and internship opportunities for students, graduates, and professionals to contribute to advocacy, research, communications, and community engagement activities of the coalition.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,600 women and girls skilled in non-traditional livelihoods across 6 districts
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012UNFPA supported the dialogue in 2012 that led to the founding of Girls Count. The dialogue included five regional consultations with over 200 representatives to identify active networks and campaigns to integrate their strategies into a unified initiative.
• Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGirls Count is a national coalition of over 300-400 civil society organizations across India working on community-based advocacy, grassroots campaigns, skill training, and capacity building to address gender-biased sex selection and promote gender equality.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CREA: Creating Resources for Empowerment and Action is a feminist human rights organization based in New Delhi advancing sexual and reproductive rights. Comparable mission, India-based, advocacy-and-capacity-building model similar to Girls Count.
• Population Foundation of India: India's leading population and reproductive health advocacy NGO, engaging in policy dialogue, research, and community action on gender and demographic issues. Comparable on the sex-ratio, reproductive rights, and policy-advocacy axes.
• SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association): India's largest women's trade union and membership-based organization for informal women workers, focused on economic empowerment and rights. Comparable on economic empowerment of women via non-traditional livelihoods and skills training.
• Jagori: New Delhi-based women's rights and empowerment organization working on gender-based violence, mobility, and women's rights advocacy. Closely comparable as a domestic feminist advocacy NGO with similar community-mobilization approach.
• Martha Farrell Foundation: India-based NGO promoting gender equality and women's empowerment through research, capacity building, and advocacy. Comparable as a domestic gender-equality organization with similar advocacy-plus-training delivery model.
• Breakthrough: India- and US-based human rights organization working on gender equality, ending violence against women, and adolescent empowerment. Directly comparable as a gender-rights advocacy NGO operating at the intersection of culture change and policy.

Broad incumbents

• Oxfam India: Indian arm of Oxfam focused on inequality, gender justice, and women's rights through research, advocacy, and campaigns. Comparable on gender-advocacy posture and policy engagement, but with substantially larger scale and broader thematic mandate.
• UN Women India: United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, with a country office in India. Comparable as a major institutional actor in the gender-equality space but operates at multilateral scale rather than as a grassroots coalition.
• Plan India: Indian arm of Plan International, a large international NGO working on girls' rights, child protection, and gender equality. Comparable on the girls-empowerment agenda but operates as a much broader, better-funded incumbent.

Others

• National Commission for Women: Indian statutory body constituted to review constitutional and legal safeguards for women. Tangential peer — engages on women's rights policy in India but as a government body rather than a civil society coalition, useful as a policy counterpart rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Girls_Count
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@girlscount9240
• Facebookfacebook.com/GirlsCount
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/girls-count
• Instagraminstagram.com/girlscountindia?igsh=MWFoeGx2bXRzcTBs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Girls Count