Priyanka, Freida support and promote Girl Rising

USAID has provided start-up funding for Girl Rising: ENGAGE INDIA (Empowering New Generations to Advance Girls’ Education), to bring Girl Rising to India and engage a diverse cross-section of allies to take action for girls. 

 

The campaign in India would be focused on the clear goal of getting more girls past Class 10, increasing secondary school completion rates for girls and reducing gender-based discrimination in India. 

 

Collaborating around this timely effort with original partners The Documentary Group, Intel Corporation, Vulcan Productions and Pearson, new commitments including collaborations from HP India and creative insights from JWT.  Girl Rising: ENGAGE INDIA seeks to expand a network of corporate leaders in support of girls’ education.

 

The announcement was made at a high-powered event in the American Center, hosted by Chargé d’Affaires Ambassador Kathleen Stephens and attended by Indian Film Stars and Girl Rising ambassadors Priyanka Chopra and Freida Pinto, Holly Gordon – co-founder and CEO at Girl Rising, Samantha Wright, VP of Global Programs at Girl Rising, Lloyd Mathias – Marketing Director at Hewlett-Packard India, Ashutosh Chadha, - Director of Corporate Affairs at Intel South Asia, Debjani Ghosh – VP Sales and Marketing Group and Managing Director South Asia at Intel, Neeta Broochra – President at FICCI FLO, Vivek Rangachari – Director & Commissioning Producer at DAR Motion Pictures, Priya Naik – Founder and Joint MD at Samhita Social Ventures, amongst others. Also present at the event were leading Indian business tycoons and industry figureheads.

 

Commenting on the initiative, Priyanka Chopra said: "I've been a part of the Girl Rising campaign since inception and am honoured to be able to bring this powerful idea to India.  I am also extremely humbled by and grateful for the support from my colleagues in the industry.  All it took was one phone call for me to have these amazing 7 ladies to graciously agree to join us on this journey. If more girls are educated, all of India stands to gain. The Girl Rising campaign aims to address that through various innovative initiatives that will not only help create awareness but also create a tangible platform to effect change."

 

“Too often, it is social and traditional ideas that are holding girls back. People just can't imagine a different future for girls. The time has come where instead of questioning why we should educate girls, we should be asking why not. When we know that educating a girl can change the world, why wait? With Girl Rising we will change that,” added Freida Pinto.

 

Girl Rising: ENGAGE INDIA will be activated by a new Bollywood version of the widely-acclaimed Girl Rising feature film, reviewed by The New York Times as “one of the hottest cause documentaries in years.” 

 

The film spotlights the stories of nine unforgettable girls around the world, striving against difficult circumstance to achieve their dreams. It shows audiences what change looks like and inspires change-makers to stand up and get involved.

 

Commenting on Girl Rising: ENGAGE INDIA’s focus, Holly Gordon, Girl Rising Co-Founder and CEO, said: “Educating girls is not only vital to India’s prosperity and stability, but also represents an unprecedented economic opportunity. Women are the biggest emerging market ever seen. They influence 65% of the world’s annual consumer spending–and, right now it is estimated that there are 270 million women and girls under age 25 in India. Furthermore, by not educating girls equally, it is estimated that India misses out on potential economic growth of about $33 billion dollars per year.”

 

“Our vision is to add momentum and value to the growing movement to increase secondary school completion rates for girls and decrease gender-based discrimination in India by changing individual attitudes at scale using an aggressive national mass media campaign and by enabling community-led change through a national call-to-action, backed by NGO partnerships and a grassroots movement,” added Samantha Wright, VP Global Programs and the leader of the Girl Rising: ENGAGE INDIA initiative.

 

To achieve its vision Girl Rising: ENGAGE INDIA also unveiled its ambitious multi-step program that includes (a) A Powerful Spark: The Girl Rising India film provides star-studded ignition. Priyanka Chopra, Freida Pinto and seven other leading Bollywood names, (b) A Clear, Tangible Destination: A mass media campaign will mobilize and unify millions toward a shared goal of “Pass Class 10”, and (c) Local Action through an aggressive grassroots campaign.

 

 “We've seen first-hand the transformational change that can occur when girls have access to an education. By working with 10x10 and policymakers to improve gender equity in education, Intel has been taking the vital message of 'Girl Rising' into action. Together, we can empower girls and help them become agents of positive change in their communities,” said Ashutosh Chadha, Director Corporate Affairs Group, Intel South Asia.