Launch of Girl Rising: Engage India Campaign

Educating girls is one of the smartest ways to break socio-cultural barriers to their growth and cycles of poverty. By not educating girls equally, India misses out on potential economic growth of about $33 billion dollars per year. Many urban and rural families believe girls should be educated, but some of the most powerful barriers that prevent adolescent girls from going to school and achieving their potential are cultural and socioeconomic.

In line with the above, FLO partnered with Girl Rising, US Embassy & USAID for the launch of Girl Rising: Engage India campaign on 29 November 2014 at the American Centre.

Girl Rising is a global campaign for girls’ education that uses storytelling to promote the truth about the transformative power of educating girls and to catalyze support for girls’ education and empowerment.

The Girl Rising: ENGAGE INDIA partnership is launching a two-year initiative with a focused goal of getting more girls to pass Class 10 and increasing secondary school completion rates for girls and reduce gender-based discrimination in India.

The announcement was made at a high-powered event in the American Center, hosted by Chargé d’ Affaires Ambassador Kathleen Stephens and attended by Indian Film Stars and Girl Rising ambassadors Priyanka Chopra and Freida Pinto, Holly Gordon – co-founder and CEO at Girl Rising, Samantha Wright, VP of Global Programs at Girl Rising, Lloyd Mathias – CMO at HP India, Ashutosh Chadha, – Director of Corporate Affairs at Intel, Debjani Ghosh – VP Sales and Marketing Group and Managing Director South Asia at Intel Corporation, Neeta Boochra – President FICCI FLO, Vivek Rangachari – Director & Commissioning Producer at DAR Motion Pictures, Priya Naik – Founder and Joint MD at Samhita Social Ventures, amongst others. Also present at the event were leading Indian business tycoons and industry figureheads.

Commenting on the initiative that has received initial funding from USAID and has HP India as its first Brand Partner in the country, Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, said ‘Investing in girls’ education is the smartest investment’

Ms Neeta Boochra, President FLO said ‘Our enduring mission at FLO, and indeed the duty of all of us here today, is to ENGAGE, to INSPIRE and to EMPOWER, to make a lasting IMPACT on the lives every girl in India…so that they can impact the lives of all of us for the better. FLO is proud to give it wholehearted support’

Commenting on the initiative, Priyanka Chopra said: “Major strides have been made toward universal primary education across India, but drastic inequalities at the secondary school level remain. If more girls are educated, all of India stands to gain. We all stand to gain.”

“Too often, it is social and traditional ideas that are holding girls back. People just can’t imagine a different future for girls. Girl Rising changes that,” added Freida Pinto.

Holly Gordon, Girl Rising Co-Founder and CEO, said: “Educating girls is not only vital to India’s prosperity and stability, but also represents an unprecedented economic opportunity. Women are the biggest emerging market ever seen. They influence 65% of the world’s annual consumer spending–and, right now it is estimated that there are 270 million women and girls under age 25 in India. Furthermore, by not educating girls equally, it is estimated that India misses out on potential economic growth of about $33 billion dollars per year.”