Breaking the glass ceiling in every sphere, girls are showing their real power. From sports to banking to corporate heads — girls and women are shining. This is despite the fact that girls are 20% behind boys in getting education, which shows that girls can do so much better.
Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India, was shocked at this data and called for bridging the gap.
On Monday, Pranab Mukherjee gave away scholarships to 1,336 underprivileged girl children from Skipper Foundation to support their education in the Beti Padaho Abhiyaan. Speaking on this occasion, the former President lauded the initiatives of the Skipper Foundation in supporting the girl child’s education programme, which seeks to change the mindsets in empowering girls and women in our society.
This is the 3rd edition of the Beti Padhao Abhiyaan, organized by the Skipper Foundation, the CSR wing of leading power transmission and distribution and polymer products company Skipper Limited. Anand Kumar, educator and mathematician; Sajan Kumar Bansal, managing trustee of Skipper Foundation and Trustees; Sharan Bansal and Devesh Bansal, along with Siddharth Bansal, were present at the ceremony.
‘Education of girl child important for country’
‘Everybody needs to understand the importance of educating every child, especially girls. Education is the foundation for a better economy in our country and every girl is playing a very big role in it. When you educate a man, you’re educating an individual. When you educate a woman, you’re educating an entire family. No doubt, then, that gender equality and advancement of women have to be of primary concern to bring harmony in all spheres of life. As per the Census 2011 data, we have 120 languages, 1,600 dialects, seven religions and three major ethnic groups — Caucasians, Dravidians and Mongoloids. The plurality of our country will be strengthened if you educate the women of the country. It’s shocking to know, as per data available, that millions of girls around the world are still denied education, which is important as any other prerequisite, such as air and food’
— Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India
Words of Wisdom
Anand Kumar, known for his Super 30 programme, said, “I feel extremely honoured and proud to be part of such a generous venture and hope that more and more children benefit from this. We don’t need any magic or miracle. Education can enlighten our minds and free us from our prejudices. I urge more corporate houses to come and join the race for the progress of our society.”
Sajan Kumar Bansal, managing trustee, Skipper Foundation, said, “I, personally, believe that CSR should be about empowerment of the community. There are three pillars of our CSR and sustainability: health, skill development and education. Hence, we say that primary education, especially for the girl child is the key driver of national prosperity. It makes sense for us to focus on it.”
Sharan Bansal, trustee, Skipper Foundation, said, “This year, our foundation offered educational scholarships to around 1,336 girl children, compared to 700 last year, as part of the noble endeavour to support the education of our daughters and sisters for the Right to Education. The children were selected by their schools through a need-based selection process. We’ve come across several families who disrupted the education of their girl child due to financial constraints. The Beti Padhao Abhiyaan is a small step to help these families continue the education of their children without any hassles.”
