“Everyone told my mother to marry me off. They said, ‘Now that you have married your elder daughter, how do you expect to sustain yourself with such a small shop and at the same time send your daughter to engineering college?’ My mother was influenced by their words and told me that I must get married. I refused! I told her I wanted a job and be successful, but my mother was not convinced.” – Aasha Sahoo, a young member of Advika As the early morning sun rises over coastal Gopalpur, Odisha (Eastern India), that new sun heralds an opportunity for children. It’s a chance to go to school, for an education that will help them fulfil their dreams and aspirations. But for girls in particular, all of this can come to a screeching halt when they have their first period. With a population of over 8.3 million children between 10-19 years, Odisha accounts for 20.5 per cent of child marriage cases reported in India, below the national average of 23.3 per cent (NFHS 5 data). The state has also seen a decline in the Sex Ratio at Birth from 894 girls per 1,000 boys. More strikingly, 7.6 per cent of adolescent girls are pregnant or become mothers by the age of 19 years. In rural Gopalpur, girls are very much up against the odds. Bhoj, as it’s known, is the local tradition in Odisha of celebrating a girl’s first period. Relatives come over, there’s music and dancing for seven continuous days to welcome a girl into womanhood. It’s also considered a sign that she is ready to get married.