Traditionally, women have been confined to the domestic sphere, with emphasis on their roles as wives, mothers and homemakers. But India is now witnessing a sweeping change in the role of women. Two recent large protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, one in July 2026 against the then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and another in October 2026 against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, have drawn a new picture of the role of girls and women in Indian student politics and social movements.
In the month-long agitation demanding Pradhan's resignation, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and student organisations, girls took charge at both the ideological and grassroots levels. Political analysts, highlighting this movement, have written that female students broke the idioms that cast them as "weak" and established themselves at the front line of the struggle.
During the ongoing protests against the Chief Election Commissioner, women's participation and the police's attitude toward them have exposed a different side of the "system". In their interviews, the protesting students made it clear that deploying women police personnel to control crowds does not make the state's attitude sensitive. In their view, the character of the state remains male-dominated, whether the uniform is worn by a man or a woman.
These recent events at Jantar Mantar show that girls in modern India are not confined to academic or economic reforms. Whether the issue is transparency in the education system, the purity of democratic processes, or the accountability of the Election Commission, the young women of the country have challenged the political and constitutional machinery and become the loudest voice for "system change."
On the other hand, Generation Alpha students have launched an unprecedented, large-scale struggle against the dilapidated and inadequate state of the education system. Inspired by the paper leak movements of "Gen Z," schoolchildren are taking to the streets directly to demand accountability from the system. Girls studying in government schools are being denied basic rights, and this has given rise to a nationwide movement.
This discontent is not limited to India. In France too, Gen Alpha schoolchildren have taken to the streets in large numbers against the Macron government's education policies. The students there demand that classroom overcrowding be reduced, dilapidated buildings be repaired, and long school hours be reviewed, since academic pressure is affecting their mental health.
History and the present both bear witness that young girls who light the spark of system change on the streets have gone on to become top political leaders who shape the policies of their countries and the world. There are some very strong examples at the international level.
New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern began her political life in her youth as a social activist and a member of the Labour Party's youth wing. She took part in movements on human rights, child poverty and the environment. Because of this grassroots activism in her youth, she became one of the world's youngest women heads of government at just 37.
In Chile, the big student movements of 2011 and 2019 were led by young female students and girls. Among them, Camila Vallejo was a prominent student activist who later entered Chile's parliament and is currently a minister in the government. Similarly, Irina Karamanos started out as a feminist activist and played an important role in Chilean politics.
Finland's former Prime Minister Sanna Marin came from a very ordinary background and began social and political activism in her youth. She became vice president of the Social Democratic Youth and rose through involvement in civil rights movements. She became Finland's Prime Minister at the age of 34, and all five leaders of the coalition parties in her government were women, four of them under the age of 35.
Malala Yousafzai, who started a movement for girls' education against a brutal organisation like the Taliban, today influences policymakers worldwide. Greta Thunberg, who started the "Fridays for Future" movement against climate change, has directly put heads of state and the United Nations in the dock. She proved that even a schoolgirl can change the global political agenda.
International studies show that women leaders from activist backgrounds put sensitive issues such as health, education, the environment and child welfare at the top of the political agenda. Compared with traditional male-dominated politics, these young women leaders offer a new and more inclusive blueprint for "system change."
The girls who protest at Jantar Mantar or on global stages have the courage to question power directly, which is the primary quality of a good future politician. The girls who are the face of today's movements at Jantar Mantar, against paper leaks or the Election Commission's decisions, are not merely protesting for today. They are honing their political abilities. International examples suggest that these agitating girls of today will become the leaders who change the direction of mainstream politics in the country and the world.
This is not only a question of women's empowerment, but also of making better use of the country's human potential. In a country where half the population has long been confined to domestic roles, if girls are now coming forward in leadership on questions of education, democracy, the environment, social justice and constitutional rights, then keeping this limited to movements alone would be a great missed opportunity.
The greatest strength of these young women is that their political experience is not limited to contesting elections. By raising questions in universities, on streets, in village assemblies, in social movements and on digital platforms, they are understanding the democratic process from close quarters. They feel the impact of administrative decisions directly, and they also have the courage to demand answers from those in power. The girls leading today's movements are laying an important foundation for future political and social leadership.
Movements should not be seen as limited to women's issues alone. When a female student takes to the street over paper leaks, unemployment, electoral transparency, the environment or the defence of the Constitution, she is not fighting only for her own rights. She is playing the role of a citizen in the larger interest of democracy. The growing leadership of Indian girls in movements is a sign that the country's new generation is ready not merely to accept the system's decisions, but to question them, fix accountability and set the direction of change.
From Jantar Mantar to global platforms, the activism of female students and young women offers the possibility of making democracy more accountable, sensitive and inclusive. Therefore, their struggles should not be ignored by dismissing them as momentary protest or mere student politics.
What is needed is that educational institutions, political parties and democratic institutions give them equal opportunities, freedom of expression and an environment conducive to leadership. If the girls who question the system today are given a proper place in decision-making, they will not only build their own futures but will also play an important role in making the country's politics and society more just, equal and democratic. This is the real meaning of the new voice of change that is emerging from the struggles of today's young girls.
Therefore, seeing the girl standing at Jantar Mantar today merely as a protester would be underestimating her potential. She could also be a future Member of Parliament, legislator, minister, administrator, jurist, social worker or policymaker. The question is: will Indian democracy give her enough opportunities to move forward?
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*With Bargi Dam Displaced and Affected Association
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