Championing Girls' Leadership since 2007

Milaan Be The Change is an Indian nonprofit working with adolescent girls to strengthen their agency, practise leadership and act on what matters to them. We work with families, communities and public institutions too, because a girl’s ability to make choices depends on the world around her.

Championing Girls' Leadership since 2007

Milaan Be The Change is an Indian nonprofit working with adolescent girls to strengthen their agency, practise leadership and act on what matters to them. We work with families, communities and public institutions too, because a girl’s ability to make choices depends on the world around her.

2 Million

Our goal?

girl leaders by 2030. 

girls reached through the Girl Icon Program since its launch in 2015.
0 +
Why Adolescent Girls?

Education, health, mobility and safety are closely connected in a girl’s life. Progress in one area can be difficult to sustain when the conditions around her remain unchanged. 
Milaan strengthens girls’ knowledge and ability to make decisions, while engaging the people and institutions that influence whether those decisions can become reality.

39.4%

Adolescent girls in India lack access to secondary education

95%

Adolescent girls associated with Milaan complete their secondary education

27%

Girls in India are married before the legal age of 18

99%

Adolescent girls associated with Milaan do not get married before the legal age of 18

30%

Women in India faced physical violence since the age of 15

94%

Adolescent girls associated with Milaan recognise gender-based violence and discrimination

Our Approach
Leadership needs somewhere to go.

A girl can gain confidence in a classroom or peer group. The next question is whether she has opportunities to use it.
Milaan’s approach connects learning with practical leadership, community participation and access to institutions that can respond to girls’ needs.

Girls learn, decide and lead.

Girls develop life skills, learn about their rights, facilitate peer groups and take action on issues they identify in their communities.

Communities make participation possible.

Families, boys and young men, teachers and local leaders are engaged in addressing the expectations and barriers that influence girls’ education, mobility, safety and choices.

Institutions help extend access.

Milaan works with grassroots organisations, frontline workers and government systems to connect girls with information, opportunities and services, while using research and feedback to strengthen program delivery.

Our Programs

From early education to adolescent leadership and opportunities beyond school, Milaan’s work addresses different moments in girls’ lives and the barriers around them.

Girls learning to lead, by leading.
Our flagship Girl Icon Program places adolescent girls in positions of responsibility. Girl Icons facilitate learning with their peers, develop practical leadership skills and take forward community initiatives on issues such as education, health and gender equality.
A community that grows with her.
Young women who complete the Girl Icon Program remain connected through a network offering access to scholarships, skills, mentorship, early career opportunities and continued leadership.
Where Milaan's journey began.
Established in rural Sitapur in 2007, Swarachna School continues to work with children, teachers and families to make quality education and meaningful learning accessible within its surrounding communities.
Working together across communities.
Anchored by Milaan, the Uttar Pradesh Coalition to Empower Girls (UPCEG) brings grassroots organisations together to share knowledge, strengthen local action and engage public institutions on issues affecting adolescent girls.
Stories & Perspectives

A Beacon of 
Change

Meet Simpi, our Girl Icon who
fought against child marriage

Contextualising the World for a Rural School
Contextualising the
World for a Rural School

Learnings for students from
rural backgrounds

The Importance of Education
The Importance of
Education
Learn about Girl Icon,
Sakkubai’s views on education
Partnerships

The work is stronger when knowledge and responsibility are shared.
Milaan’s work brings together girls, local communities, government institutions, grassroots organisations, researchers and funding partners.
Each contributes something different: relationships and local knowledge, access to public systems, technical expertise, evidence and the resources needed to sustain the work.

Get Involved

Find your way to Milaan. Explore the many ways you can get involved with Milaan and empower the next generation of leaders!

Get in touch!

Milaan Be The Change

 A-329, Block A, Shivalik Colony, Malviya Nagar,    New Delhi – 110017

Email Address

hello@milaan.in

Phone Number
011-41608955
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Brianne Bustos is a seasoned IT executive with over two decades of experience driving enterprise technology transformations, cybersecurity initiatives, and strategic IT planning. She has a strong track record of leading high-impact projects within private equity-backed firms, professional services, and infrastructure-heavy industries, aligning technology investments with business growth. Passionate about innovation, cybersecurity governance, and AI-driven solutions, Brianne excels in building resilient digital ecosystems that enhance operational efficiency and scalability.

Beyond her professional expertise, Brianne is an advocate for outdoor adventure and community-building. She founded an Outdoor Adventure Group for women, fostering empowerment, connection, and exploration in nature through activities like skiing, mountain biking, and backcountry excursions.

"I deeply believe in the power of education and community in challenging gender stereotypes and providing autonomy. Milaan's grassroots efforts to empower young women are inspiring and impactful. It is a privilege to be part of the team. "

Bela is a seasoned leader serving as the Chief Client Relationship Officer at Goodwin, a global law firm that advises the innovators and investors operating in some of the world’s most transformative areas. Prior to that, Prior to joining Goodwin, she spent 25 years at Deloitte working alongside diverse group of senior stakeholders to solve their most complex business challenges, including go-to-market transformations, operational excellence, as well as large-scale change. She also served as an advisor to Vidya Grants, a non-profit organization focused on education ecosystem in India.