Anita comes from a tribal village in Jharkhand. Girls her age in her community, including many of her cousins are married with their own children. Although her family moved to Delhi from Jharkhand many years ago, her surroundings did little to guide or grow her aspirations in life. Three years ago, Anita passing by Park, saw the Ultimate Frisbee disc flying in the air and couldn’t resist getting involved. She was welcomed to join in and she became a regular attendee at the practice sessions. Initially, Anita barely spoke. She was accustomed to being a follower with no opinions of her own; she followed commands like a machine.
She fought hard against any discriminatory behaviors or bullying amongst her fellow players.
However over a period of time, with her game skills, her confidence and social skills grew. Anita started taking an active interest in her team; she started taking ownership for not just hers but her teams performance as a whole. She recognised the power of voice and started participating in conversations and discussions. She became more aware of herself and her environment.
Anita would not ignore the contrast in gender dynamics on the field, where boys and girls were equal participants, and off the field in her community and family that had shaped her behaviour. She became a vocalm revolutionary for safeguarding equal rights on the game field and not letting the norms of the society creep in. She fought hard against any discriminatory behaviors or bullying amongst her fellow players. Responding to her determination, hard work, and attitude both on and off the field, Anita was elected by the team as their captain. In her first tournament as captain, she led her team to the spirit medal – the most prestigious award in Ultimate Frisbee. Beyond Ultimate, she has successfully completed her senior secondary education, a first in her family for girls. Anita is now in her 2nd year of college, at Delhi University, studying political science. She wants to affect policy changes so that women like her sisters will get the option of working towards their aspirations rather than getting married and bearing children at a young age.
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