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7/1/13 Forbes India Magazine - How to Empower Young Girls in India
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How to Empower Young Girls inIndiaby Meera Shenoy
Young girls need holistic skilling solutions and last-mile connectivity to jobmarkets
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Providing skills to girls require holistic solutions like market-linked curriculum and fi nancial literacy
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7/1/13 Forbes India Magazine - How to Empower Young Girls in India
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n a recent visit to Hyderabad, I met Shweta, who works in the documentationcentre of a TV channel. Daughter of a bus driver, she joined a training programmeunder the Andhra Pradesh government’s employment mission in 2006. Her
annual salary has since increased from Rs 60,000 to Rs 2,00,000. Happily pregnantnow, she told me, “What is best about the training and the job is it helped me get ahusband who works in a private sector bank. I never dreamt of this kind of life for meback home.”
India loses $56 billion a year in earnings to adolescent pregnancy, higher-secondaryschool dropouts, and joblessness among young girls. An Indian School of Business studyon the impact of providing skills to rural girls showed a rise in self-esteem, reduction inchild marriage, and a better quality of life for their families. When women earn, theyinvest 90 percent of their income in families; for men it’s only 30-40 percent.
Economic empowerment of young girls is neglected in India. A study by strategicphilanthropic foundation Dasra—Empowering Adolescent Girls in India—corroborateswhat I see on the field. There are agencies which do life skills and health training. Butwhat seems to be missing is that step-up training they require to follow their careerdreams.
At a workshop in Ranchi, organised by the Jharkhand government and the World Bank,block officers pointed out that girls who went through basic life skills and healtheducation were asking, “What next?” In 2011, the Centre had conceived “Sabla” as acomprehensive scheme addressing the empowerment of adolescent girls throughnutrition, life skills and vocational training. The model, however, requires co-ordination
of various government departments (for funds) and grassroots workers etc.
India has set itself a policy target of helping skill 500 million youths by 2022 for jobs.Assuming only 40 percent of them are girls, the number still would be 200 million.Neglecting them could mean a demographic disaster. Providing skills to young girls needsholistic solutions to meet their special needs—modules which incorporate market-linkedcurriculum with health and life skills, flexibility in timings, financial literacy, and sensitivesupport mechanisms for first-generation organised sector workers. Lessons from theprivate sector in building gender diversity have to be included. There is a sense of urgency for two reasons. More adolescent girls are enrolling insecondary education and need a last-mile connect to markets. With NREGA money flowing into rural hands, mothers aspire for a different kind of lifefor their daughters. We need to design and implement a National Young Girls SkillingMission. The time is now.
Meera Shenoy is a team member of the advisor to the PM’s National Council on SkillDevelopment. She is also Senior Advisor, UNDP. Shenoy was instrumental in designingand executing the successful AP rural development’s employment mission. The viewsexpressed by the author are personal.
This article appeared in Forbes India Magazine of 28 June, 2013
Keywords: Girl empowerment, Dasra, Skills and health training, NREGA, Jharkhand
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7/1/13 Forbes India Magazine - How to Empower Young Girls in India
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Kumar Manish Jul 1, 2013
The ironical part is that even though we realise that other half of the population is to be
brought into mainstream but still we don't see that happening when district plans or skill
development plans are being formulated...working in the rural/naxal affected belt, I was
surprised to see that annual action plans regarding skill development remain in
papers....the idea must be to first of sensitise the common public and officials towards the
need of giving an equal footing to womenfolk. THE CHANGE HAS TO BE FROM WITH
IN TO START.......so that it simply doesnt stay in policies and guidelines !!!!!!
Thanks and regards,
Reply
Rekha Kumari Jun 28, 2013
You are right madam, the holistic model for development of girls is yet to come. I am from
Bihar where I have seen school girls being empowered and more confident to walk on road
in villages when they are given Bicycle from state government. Number of girls attending
schools increased tremendously and they started thinking that they are empowered and
they have all right to dream for a better life. But once they finish the schooling a full stop
arises there....What to do now???...There is no opportunity in village... and very few are
lucky to move out of villages...It takes a mental toll on them as first we are making them
dream of and then destituting them from fulfilling their dream(which off course because
of lack of opportunity at village level or block level)making them worse and victim. Please
do what you and we can .... and the suggested way in your article is one of the crucial
solution.
Reply
Dr.a.jagadeesh Jun 23, 2013
I agree with your assertion,"Economic empowerment of young girls is neglected in India.
More and more avenues have to be created.
Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India
Reply
Rajesh Dua Jun 23, 2013
If some one wants to volunteer to this cause, what is the channel available?
Reply
Response to Rekha Kumari:
Meera Shenoy Jun 29, 2013
Yes Rekha. I work in Bihar and am aware of the issue you have raised.
We need to all work together to ensure educated girls achieve their
dreams...
Response to Rajesh Dua:
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7/1/13 Forbes India Magazine - How to Empower Young Girls in India
forbesindia.com/article/ideas-opinions/how-to-empower-young-girls-in-india/35429/1#ixzz2XIj6kczs 4/4
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Raghuveer Jun 22, 2013
An eye-opener! Such articles will inform the youngsters who crib about nothing
happening in terms of development in the country. In turn will inspire them to promote
and participate in such activities.
Reply
Response to Rajesh Dua:
Meera Shenoy Jun 27, 2013
Depending on the city you are located, there will be good organisations
you can volunteer with
Reply
Response to Meera Shenoy:
Rajesh Dua Jun 27, 2013
i AM AT GUJARAT CITY AHMEDABAD, can you suggest few?
thanks anyway.
Reply
Response to Rajesh Dua:
Meera Shenoy Jun 29, 2013
The Gujarat Livelihood mission has approved training centres
which skill youth for jobs....I can connect you with one of their
officers
Reply
Response to Meera Shenoy:
Rajesh Dua Jun 29, 2013
sure , my mail ID is [email protected] and contact No..
9586961970..I wish to initiate as soon as possible.
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