The Eastern Himalayan Foundation, based in Darjeeling, has been at the forefront of youth-focused initiatives in education and career development. In 2022, it released the State of the Youth Report, which offered valuable insights into the educational and socio-economic conditions of young people in the Darjeeling hills, highlighting the challenges they face and presenting possible solutions from their perspectives.
Building on this work, the Foundation commissioned the State of the Youth Report II to undertake comprehensive research on educational aspirations, challenges, socio-economic conditions, and youth-related institutions and networks. This research aims to provide a strong evidence base for designing effective programs, advocacy efforts, and policies for the youth of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills.
This collaborative project is currently underway in both districts, and draws on surveys and interviews with undergraduates from over a dozen colleges, as well as with teachers, institutional heads, practitioners, and government representatives.
Contemporary Sikkim is a society in transition—from a traditional, patriarchal culture to one that appears increasingly open and accepting of diverse personal and professional choices. Women are now far more visible in the public sphere and are almost equally represented across many development indicators. Yet these gains mask persistent contradictions: within families, communities and the wider society, Sikkimese women still face social and cultural tensions that deeply shape their lives. These realities are rarely acknowledged in research, policy or development planning, and the absence of comprehensive, gender-focused studies further invisibilises women’s experiences and distances them from the processes of governance and development.
To address this gap, Reading Himalaya is undertaking the Being Seen, Being Heard: Status of Women in Sikkim project, which seeks to provide a comprehensive, intersectional analysis of women’s lives, with a focus on livelihoods, social justice, and mobility. The project will generate new baseline data, map trends in women’s experiences, and examine cycles of dependency and vulnerability that continue to shape their opportunities. The insights gained will serve as a critical foundation for informing policy, governance, activism, and advocacy, while strengthening both the individual and collective capacities of Sikkimese women. In 2025, we completed a pilot survey, gathering responses from over 150 girls and women across Sikkim; the full-scale project is scheduled for launch in early 2026.
