According to the World Bank, women’s education correlates with higher national GDPs, higher returns through increases in lifelong wages, and higher educational attainment in children of educated mothers, positively impacting future generations.
These arguments that advocate for girls’ and women’s education paint the landscape in terms of the gains for societies, families, national economies and future generations. Yet, behind every one of those numbers, there is an underlying reality: education is not just good for economies. It is a doorway for girls’ and women’s personal growth and empowerment. It’s their chance to fulfill their right to take the wheel of their own lives.
At Globant, we want to be part of this movement: of accompanying women to pursue their own paths, to be part of their own journey of empowerment. With this in mind, as part of our global Women That Build initiative, we created the Empower Her program as a call to action in terms of women’s education in India.
The starting point: what is happening with girls’ education in India?
Adolescent girls are amongst the most vulnerable groups when it comes to education. According to a report launched by the Indian National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, young women have more limited opportunities to gain education and skills for economic advancement. They typically have lower access to social and financial support, as well as a higher burden of household chores, that directly affects their educational opportunities.
COVID-19 has generated an even more worrying scenario. A household survey in Mumbai found that while 75% of men reported having been adversely affected by COVID-19, the percentage of women was 89%. This is embedded in the context of a decreasing number of women in the workforce: in 2019, the female participation rate barely surpassed 20%, according to the International Labor Organization.
Our solution: Empower Her program
The Empower Her program is one of our Women That Build initiatives that accompanies young women in their inspirational journey. It supports young women, particularly from underserved backgrounds, in their transition into adulthood.
The main objective is to break the cycle of exclusion and vulnerability by enlightening their potential and encouraging them to become masters of their own path.
This year, in collaboration with the non-profit Being Volunteer, we launched our third edition with 50 young women, between the ages of 16 and 24. Participants receive weekly training in English, as well as sessions focused on soft skills’ development. They are encouraged to participate in weekly mentoring sessions with Globant volunteers who help them establish goals and provide them with guidance to develop professionally.
Globers are a fundamental part of the every-day aspect of the initiative, helping and assisting the participants in their development. “Each one of us has the power to positively influence lives,” says Kuljeet Kaveeshwar, Technical Director at Globant, who volunteers and oversees the coordination of the initiative. “In this program, I met many inspiring people who are dedicated to helping others and making this world a better place”.
Globant India: generating opportunities for women in IT
We also generate opportunities to train women in IT fields, and promote their professional entry in the industry. An example of this is the Back In the Game (BIG) program. Born in 2019, BIG aims to help women who have pressed pause in their IT careers, accompanying them in their process of hopping back into the labor market.
Similarly, this year, ChooseToUpturn was launched, an initiative coordinated by a Glober in Pune. The program involves having participants receive mentoring from female Globers in senior positions in Web UI, Mobile, Java or Automation Testing.
At Globant, we want to challenge the status quo. We want to create opportunities for women to become inspired, to unravel and unleash their full potential, to become owners of their own journey. We seek to make an impact, one step at a time, one woman at a time.
