Give Girls The Opportunity To Explore Possibilities

By Author: The Akshaya Patra Foundation
Total Articles: 112
Comment this article

India has a significant opportunity to socially and economically improve through the education of girls. By contributing in the home and at work, educated girls are the weapons that produce constructive social change in India. Education for girls boosts economies and lowers inequality. It helps create societies that are more resilient and secure and are able to provide everyone with ample opportunity to reach their full potential and live out their ambitions.

From 2010, India's female literacy rate has improved. In 2010, 80.35% of women were literate. The rate eventually rose with time. In India, the female literacy rate climbed by 14.4% between 2010 and 2021. The rate was 91.95% in 2021. In 2021, the literacy rate improved by 0.6% year over year.

Advantages of Girls’ Education

Following is the brief description of the advantages of girls’ education in India:

* Social Development: Educating girls could be the key to remove many social evils of Indian society- dowry system, female infanticide and workplace harassment etc. An educated woman changes the future generations.

* Economic Development: ...
... Educating girls will definitely lead to the economic development of the nation as more women join the work force.
* High Living Standard: An educated woman will contribute financially for the needs of her family and relatives. Two earning parents provide better growth prospects for the children as well as a raised living standard of the family.

* Social Recognition: A family with educated women enjoys a good social status and is honored more than others. An educated woman conducts appropriately in the society earning laurels for the family and making it proud.

* Improved Health and Hygiene: An educated woman recognizes the health hazards to her family and knows how to deal with them. She knows how to feed and nurture her children, telling them about good and bad hygiene.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao

"Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" (literally, "save the girl child, educate the girl child") is the nation's flagship programme for preventing female infanticide and drawing attention to the value of girls’ education. India must put a strong emphasis on educating girls and making great efforts to ensure that there are no gaps and that education is freely and openly provided to both genders if it hopes to be seen as a highly developed country and one of the world's leading voices in international affairs.

How Akshaya Patra supports the education of girls

Akshaya Patra is the Government’s implementing partner of the PM Poshan Abhiyaan (previously known as Mid-Day Meal Programme or MDM Programme). Through the programme, the NGO serves over 2 million meals in more than 22,000 Government schools across India. The MDM acts as an incentive for parents to send their children to school, thus keeping them away from hunger and illiteracy.

This programme also acts as a facilitator for parents of girl children to send them to school thus ensuring that they get access to food and education

Additionally, the NGO’s Digital Education Programme and AVSAR Scholarship Programme have been working for years to provide quality education to children from underprivileged communities, in order to prepare them to become the leaders and changemakers of the future.

Akshaya Patra believes that food and education are key instruments that girls must use to reach their full potential by developing the skills and attitudes that put them on the road to social and economic empowerment.

Their Voice, Their Equal Future

Laxmi Vibhuti aspires to be a Doctor

Laxmi is a Class 5 student and aspires to be a doctor when she grows up. She says the midday meals and the glass of milk in the morning helps her pursue her academics and also practice dance.
“I want study well and become a doctor not just to help my family financially but also share an amazing bond with patients, a profession in which the the ultimate joy is being someone's saviour in distress,” she says.Laxmi is a beneficiary of the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Programme.

Vidya wants to make a difference in the health care sector

Vidya aspires to be a Chartered Accountant after her graduation. This Commerce student shares how difficult it has been to continue her studies since two years due to the pandemic. With no smartphone at home or an active internet connection, attending online classes was not easy for her. Rarely, she would borrow a smartphone from her neighbour to attend classes but often she had to study on her own. Despite the testing times, Vidya passed her 10th Boards with flying colours. She is now a student of PUC 1st Year. She says the tab will now help her study better and also allow her to appear for competitive exams. Vidya is a beneficiary of the Digital Education Programme.

Pallavi wants to join the civil services

“I aspire to join the Civil Services. I believe, being a good human being and helping those in need, is very important. Akshaya Patra’s AVSAR scholarship is helping me work towards my goal. In addition to pursuing my BCom, I am interning with Akshaya Patra and attempting to help disadvantaged children in every way I can.”Pallavi is a beneficiary of the AVSAR Scholarship Programme.

Over the years, Akshaya Patra has been providing nutrition and educational opportunity to girls from challenging socio-economic communities of India.

When you support Akshaya Patra, you also qualify for a 50% tax exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act as Akshaya Patra is registered under Section 12 A of the IT Act.

Donate now and save tax!

I'm a social volunteer, lives in Bengaluru. I do work for NGOs to make society better. Currently I'm working for The Akshaya Patra Foundation. It's an NGO in India which provides wholesome nutritious mid-day meals to government school children to end classroom hunger. https://www.akshayapatra.org/