Around
45.3 million women live in poverty in India. The problem of early marriage affects 750 million
women globally, of which
India accounts for 223 million, a third of the world's total. The Government of India has implemented
several policies, including
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, a maternity benefit programme and
Kishori Shakti Yojana for juvenile girls, and
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao to improve the future of girls and ensure their holistic development and recognition. Despite these efforts, the disparity faced by girls in India remains an issue.
Adolescent girls in impoverished environments face numerous challenges that impede their ability to reach their full potential. A considerable number of these girls are denied access to quality education, with roughly 132 million girls globally
not attending school. Such girls are also susceptible to health issues such as malnutrition,
early pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. Moreover, they face a higher risk of experiencing gender-based violence, including sexual assault and domestic abuse. They also often lack job opportunities, further perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
A considerable number of these girls are denied access to quality education, with roughly 132 million girls globally not attending school.
A significant challenge with many policies is the insufficient attention given to girls under 12. However, some multinational corporations have launched unique initiatives such as ‘
World Pulse’, building social capital for women through technology and contributing towards attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Global South with government support. In Baluchistan, Pakistan, an initiative called ‘
Roshan–the camel brings books’ connects the country’s most impoverished areas with a mobile book library using a camel to make up for learning loss during the pandemic. Another such initiative is ‘
The Girl Effect’ (TGE) movement, which aims to make a difference through ‘the cycle of change’ by adopting a technology-driven approach.
The cycle of change
Started by Nike Foundation in 2008, ‘
The Girl Effect’ (TGE) movement has invested in girls, especially those under 12, as an effective way to end poverty. TGE aims to break the cycle of poverty for adolescent girls through a four-step
cycle of change. The steps are:
- Investing in girls by providing resources and support,
- Empowering girls with skills and knowledge,
- Amplifying their voices through storytelling, and
- Creating systemic change by addressing root causes.
By focusing on girls’ holistic development, the initiative seeks to create a ripple effect that benefits the entire community and builds a better world for everyone. These objectives align with the United Nations
SDGs, specifically No Poverty (SDG 1), Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Quality Education (SDG 4), and Gender Equality (SDG 5).
Women in developing nations often face difficulties due to their limited access to credit and low-paying jobs. They spend over 90 percent of their time and resources on
social reproduction duties, while
men spend only about 40 percent. TGE initiative runs projects in over
50 countries to address these challenges using media, technology, and community engagement to tackle discriminatory gender norms and change societal perceptions.
TGE Mobile platform provides information in 26 languages across 45 countries and trains young women as Technology Enabled Girl Ambassadors (TEGA) to gather real-time data and insights into the lives of their peers.
The Girl Network and Girl Connect are internet-based platforms to harness the power of knowledge through YouTube. The video “
The Girl Effect: The Clock Is Ticking” advocates for girl education as a means of protecting them from HIV, early marriage, and pregnancy and providing them with the means to escape poverty through employment.
TGE Mobile platform provides information in 26 languages across 45 countries and trains young women as Technology Enabled Girl Ambassadors (
TEGA) to gather real-time data and insights into the lives of their peers. Currently functional in Nigeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia, India, and Indonesia, this initiative aims to empower girls and improve their lives by breaking the cycle of poverty.
Similarly, World Pulse, an independent, women-led, global social network for social change, uses technology to influence social change and build networks for education, business and policy impact. Using a cloud-based app to create a convenient and educative platform for co-learning, World Pulse is helping women amplify their stories by building social capital on a global scale. This initiative has impacted
24 million women worldwide since its inception in 2003.
Similarly,
Armman, an India-based technology-driven non-profit, primarily focuses on women’s maternal health by improving access to healthcare and essential information required during and after pregnancy. Armman’s “Tech Plus Touch” approach connects women in remote areas through government schemes and partner NGOs using India’s rural penetration of mobiles to its benefit. Armman has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to provide India’s largest maternal messaging programme, ‘Kilkari’, and mobile-based training of health care workers using its ‘Mobile Academy’.
Girl effect in Global South
As observed by the
World Bank, high rates of gender disparity and poor technological infrastructure in the Global South present an opportunity to bring significant change. In Nigeria, more than 10.5 million children between 5 and 14 are out of school despite the government's provision of free and compulsory education. Only 61 percent of students between 6 and 11 attend primary school because of the frequent cases of girl child
kidnapping. To help provide a secure environment, initiatives like the ‘
Girl Connect’ by TGE offer a tech-friendly programme for remote learning. In its launch year of 2018, the platform provided over 44,000 cell phones and received 32 percent of calls for safety and 4,076 calls for basic information daily.
Armman’s “Tech Plus Touch” approach connects women in remote areas through government schemes and partner NGOs using India’s rural penetration of mobiles to its benefit.
Bangladesh’s
enrolment increased from 39 percent in 1998 to 67 percent in 2017. However, despite consistent attempts, women’s enrollment in schools and lifestyles have been compromised. While women in Bangladesh continue to face violence and assaults, data by TEGA is attempting to provide a secure environment and awareness. The
Female Secondary School Assistance Project (FSSAP) has helped the country benefit 2.3 million students since the 1990s; 66 percent have been girls. The
project has appointed 12 young women from four corners of the country to work as TEGAs to provide information on issues faced by women.
TGE in India
TGE’s
projects in India address the needs of teenage girls using the available technological infrastructure, helping uncover important insights into the lives of adolescent girls in India. The collected data creates the foundation of the
“CHAA JAA” project and the ‘
Bol-Bhen’ chatbot to provide girls with essential information about education, family, healthcare, and relationships. Prominent celebrities promoting better lifestyles and awareness in the Hindi-speaking community support this social media initiative. These initiatives align with the objectives of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, focusing on the holistic health and education of the girl child, which has
improved the sex ratio at birth, with 934 in 2022 and nearly the same
infant mortality rate in 2022.
India’s dropout rate of 15.1 percent could be higher because of the gap in education due to the pandemic. The STEM education programme ‘
Non-traditional livelihood options’ started in 2022 for inclusive education under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao aims to increase the participation of women in areas which have been historically underrepresented. The Indian government also opened doors to
33 Sainik Schools for women’s admission as of June 2022. However, despite such attempts, the disparities faced by women in India remain relatively high. Initiatives from TEGA are providing remote education to girls who cannot visit schools. The
National Digital Library expansion proposed in the Union Budget 2023-24 by introducing physical libraries at the local level and providing study material in regional languages is expected to provide a similar platform at a larger scale.
The Indian government also opened doors to 33 Sainik Schools for women’s admission as of June 2022. However, despite such attempts, the disparities faced by women in India remain relatively high.
Besides TGE, several other philanthropic initiatives are enhancing girl child education and skilling for increased workforce participation through a multi-stakeholder approach. For example,
Nanhi Kali by KC Mahindra Foundation benefits girls in government schools across India by providing daily academic support using
Ei Assist Technology. Giving due importance to poor women through in-hand technology like TGE is helping countries like India to recognise their plight.
Conclusion
Globally, philanthropic initiatives connect women to education and healthcare without the required infrastructure, while government policies build the necessary ecosystem. Combining private sector initiatives and government policies synergistically can lead to exponential well-being and human resource development.
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