It wasn't easy ignoring the daily sneers and mockery she received for going to the football field every morning, but Sonali Soren isn't the kind to tremble in fear or bend down under pressure.

Soren has defied prejudices in her hamlet of Purba Bardhaman and gone on to play for the renowned East Bengal team at the age of 16. She is presently one of the leading candidates for a spot on India's under-17 team.

Soren is one of countless women around the country who, despite hurdles, are attempting to follow a less-traveled path.

“I want to be a professional football player. I have always loved sporting activities but never found a direction. It was my school teacher and NGO Shreeja Foundation who inspired me to take up football seriously.

“Initial days were difficult as many villagers mocked my family. Now, they are the ones who cite me as an example in my hometown,” she said.

Soren, along with many girls of her age in the tribal belt of West Bengal, has been mentored by Shreeja Foundation to create a level-playing field for women, not just in sports but other arenas too.

“Many of these girls were school drop-outs, and some did not have the freedom to pursue higher education. Sporting activities are a way to build their confidence, make them physically and mentally strong so that they can fend for themselves,” said the founder of the NGO, Shib Shankar Dasgupta.

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In another part of Bengal, Shefali Mallick, a 41-year-old woman from Durgapur, left her job at a diocese when she was in her late 20s to dedicate her life for women who have been victims of circumstances.

“During my visit to villages, I came across several women who have been enduring domestic violence silently. Some young girls were made to leave schools to attend to household chores. I realised that my job had limitations and hence gave it up to be able to devote more time to these women.” Mallick had faced resistance from parents of young girls when she tried to enrol them in makeshift education centres, built in the vicinity of their homes.

“It took a lot of convincing for parents to send their girls to school, and fortunately the Smile Foundation agreed to help me with the cause. Together, we have been able to bring smiles on many faces,” she said.

Lakkhi Maddi, a woman from a Paschim Bardhaman village who had benefited from the initiative, said her family wouldn’t have allowed her to go to college, had Mallick not reached out to her parents and explained the need for higher education.

“When women realise their self-worth, they can make choices, have access to opportunities and resources. Empowering girl children and women is more of a necessity than an obligation for the society,” said Santanu Mishra, the co-founder and executive trustee of Smile Foundation.