By Tina Kapoor | Head of Communications
Adolescent girls in marganilised communities of India continue to face adverse effects to their education, safe spaces, health, and safety due to the pandemic. Continued lockdown, school closures and no access to digital infrastructures mean adolescent girls have no access to information, education, or safe spaces. They are burdened with domestic care with a high chance of dropping out of school and increased child marriages.
A report from Malala Fund indicates that 10 million adolescent girls will never return back to school to complete their secondary education. Today, India stands at a critical juncture and at a risk of losing 70 years of progress made in girls' education.
For India to achieve economic progress, fight the adversities of the pandemic, and break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, adolescent girls play the role of a silver bullet to help rebuild communities and make sure they thrive.
The Girl Icon Program 2021 has begun its journey with 6000 adolescent girls in three states of India; Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka. We're harnessing the power of technology, life-skills education, and creating safe spaces within the communities for girls to convene, learn and take action. Our work with adolescent girls will ensure they continue their education, return back to schools and take leadership roles in their lives, families and communities.
Technology has played an important role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. By providing girls with digital infrastructures such as smartphones and data packs, the Girl Icon Program in the year 2021 is transforming the lives of adolescent girls in some of the most vulnerable communities to fight social barriers to their right to education, health, and safety by giving them the most needed technology.
We couldn't have achieved this without your continuous belief in young women and our work to build the largest movement of girl leaders in India. Increased and continuous investment towards adolescent girls can ensure we harness the power of India's demographic dividend and prepare young women to join the workforce!
Your support is EMPOWERING thousands of girls to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty for their families and helping them explore their full potential to achieve their dreams.
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