Progress and empowerment through Educating India’s Daughters

1. Progress and empowerment through Educating India’s Daughters This is the call of the day, a call that needs to be heard and addressed without any further delay. It is appalling to see several crimes against young girls and women being committed despite severe punishments put in place. Law and order take over after a crime takes place against a girl, it is a reactive procedure. However, it is extremely important to take proactive measures that can save young girls from these terrible atrocities. Quoting examples of the crimes being committed on women becomes a lengthy and difficult task. Nirbhaya’s case is one among the many that saw the light of the day. Empowering women and establishing safe living conditions is the first step that needs to be taken to safe guard. A sincere and honest approach towards implementing every women welfare scheme sponsored by the State and Central Govt will make a huge difference in the society. World Bank has projects that take up the cause of the girl child too.

2. ‘Development Market place grantee’ is one such World Bank fund that is granted for encouraging education for girl child. It is interesting to see the approach adopted in this scheme and the positive results. This scheme began in Rajasthan in the year 2011, with the objective of bringing girls to schools with special focus on the comeback of drop outs. This was based on the concept that it takes the community to educate a girl child. Hence, Team Balika – a group of all girl volunteers from their own local community were sent knocking the doors of the residents promoting the cause of sending their girls to schools. Around 4,500 community volunteers were at the front line of school enrollment. As they were from the same communities, families were more receptive to them. Trust placed by the parents was kept up by the Team Balika by ensuring that the girls were kept safe and were provided with the best education possible.

3. This is one approach that saw success, similarly demographic and community based apprehensions vary across the country. Customizing the approach to each situation is required to succeed at different locations. However, the core mantra is to involve the local population, buy in their trust and convince them of the difference an educated girl child makes to their community. There is a great divide between the techno savvy, educated urban India and the rural populace. The rural Indians get to access the technology only to the extent that benefits the commerce of the telecom and technology companies. It is essential to develop social networking through technology that permits sharing of knowledge, opportunities and welfare schemes available for the girls that wait to be empowered. Immense contribution of the Indian Industry under the ‘corporate social responsibility’ is a great help. Such continuous and sustained effort is needed to make a difference and ensure empowerment in the lives of India’s daughters.