Background Disproportionate difference in the literacy levels between girls and boys in Rajasthan Significant shortage of female teachers in the state Link between the recruitment of female teachers and the enrollment and retention of girl students, particularly at the upper primary level Objectives To understand what influences female teachers to become role models and agents of change in their community To understand if female teachers are able to recognise patterns of gender discrimination in their personal lives and connect this to their professional environment How the employment of women is changing society if at all Preliminary Findings Teaching is considered a safe profession for women. It gives them a lot of holidays and its timings allow them to manage their household and work at the same time Women do not feel that there is discrimination against them in terms of promotions. Reluctance to take on more responsibility. The government has reserved 33 per cent of teaching jobs for women The Rajput community is quite wealthy but they don’t send their daughters to school. Jats and Meghwals do. Female teachers reinforce gender stereotypes. The teachers we met were from the Rajput, Jat, Brahmin, Jain communities. We could meet only one teacher from the SC community. Girls drop out of school because families believe that an educated girl will destroy the traditional fabric of society. The lack of a female teacher provides an excuse for families.