In the summer of 2023, I conducted a creative writing workshop, intending to empower girls by providing a creative outlet for their imagination. The aim was to do this for at least 30 girls from a government-funded school in India.

The workshop started with a brief on plot creation and culminated in the learners writing original stories with the theme of women empowerment. Of these, 5 moving stories were shortlisted for editing and eventual publication The girls demonstrated impressive courage sharing their plans for higher education and career ambitions.

I witnessed first-hand the power education holds as a tool for empowerment. I hope you enjoy this collection of short stories.

They have been written from the heart, and I hope they inspire you as they did me. 'Magic Spells' will hopefully break stereotypes one fairy tale at a time.

Pahal Bhasin is a current tenth grader at The Hotchkiss School (in USA) with a strong interest in English, Math, Computer Science, and Humanities. Pahal is a poet, creative writer, visual artist, and passionate about the intersections of Arts and STEM with social impact, addressing areas of women empowerment and equitable access to education and healthcare, and making the world a better place for all.

Pahal started an initiative-Empowerwoment-to address gender bias using narratives, poems, and podcasts. She also co-founded an edtech platform, STEAM Bloom to provide students from all underrepresented backgrounds access to world-class resources and programs for free.

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