NEW DELHI, August 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Strengthening its commitment to invest in the communities in which it operates, BAE Systems will support 300 girls to complete secondary school through Room to Read's Girls' Education Programme. BAE Systems is partnering with Room to Read, a global non-profit organization focused on improving literacy and gender equality in education with its largest region of operations in India. BAE Systems' investment will provide material support, mentorship, life skills training, and family and community engagement activities with the goal of encouraging young women, in grades 8-12, to complete their secondary education.
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This partnership is aligned with Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao or Save the girl child, Educate the girl child , an initiative of the Indian government which specifically targets universal enrolment of girl students in schools, decreased drop-out rates, girl child-friendly standards in schools, and implementation of Right to Education (RTE).
Nik Khanna, Managing Director, BAE Systems India, said, "The education of girls has a profound and long-lasting impact on communities. Room to Read's Girls' Education Programme is transformational in its focus on life skills as the key to secondary school completion and success beyond. We are delighted to join forces with Room to Read to launch this new phase of community investment complementing the national effort on Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao."
Sourav Banerjee, India Country Director, Room to Read, said, "Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in low-income countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Institutional support is critical to our success. BAE Systems' inspired action under Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao blends its organization's goals with Room to Read's objectives and will ensure more girls have the power of choice and are ready for the doors of opportunity that follow."
Girls face obstacles to their education both inside and outside of school. Early marriage plays a large role in keeping girls out of secondary school, with 47 percent of girls in India married before their 18th birthdays. Schools often reinforce gender inequality through social norms and community control. Room to Read addresses gender inequality by working with government stakeholders to advocate the importance of girls' education at the state and national levels.
The Girls' Education Programme specifically addresses the risk of secondary school drop-out of the girl child and equips them with critical life skills. In 2016, drop-out rates of girls on the programme in India declined by more than 50%, from nearly 14% in 2015 to 6% in 2016. In 2015, 93% of girls enrolled in the programme remained in school or graduated and 95% of girls who remained in the programme advanced to the next grade.
Engagement with families, schools and communities is a key component of the programme which is based on a long-term engagement with girls, most of whom are first generation learners. The Girls' Education Programme, which aligns with United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) of gender equality and women's empowerment, has supported more than 38,000 girls globally.
About BAE Systems
At BAE Systems, we provide some of the world's most advanced, technology-led defence, aerospace and security solutions. We employ a skilled workforce of 83,100 people in 40 countries. Working with customers and local partners, we develop, engineer, manufacture and support products and systems to deliver military capability, protect national security and people, and keep critical information and infrastructure secure.
About Room to Read
Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read's innovative model focuses on deep, systemic transformation within schools in low-income countries during two time periods that are most critical in a child's schooling: early primary school for literacy acquisition and secondary school for girls' education. We work in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and ensure girls can complete secondary school with the skills necessary to negotiate key life decisions. Room to Read has benefited 11.5 million children across more than 20,000 communities in 14 countries and aims to reach 15 million children by 2020. Learn more at http://www.roomtoread.org.
Media Contact:
Indu Anand
BAE Systems
[email protected]
+91-9811771912
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