Despite the
advances made in education in India over the past decade, many of the benefits
are still yet to be felt by girls and women, particularly those from rural and
disadvantaged areas. Statistics continue to show that females are less likely
to attend school, are less likely to finish school and are less likely to
attend and graduate from university. Twenty per cent of Indian children still
do not go to school, the majority of which are girls, and the number of
illiterate women still outweighs the number of men (UNICEF India). In a country
were education is often a key stepping stone on the path to a better life these
trends are preventing Indian girls and women from fulfilling their potential.
As women are often the bedrock of families denying them education can have a
knock-on effect which limits the quality of life for their family and their
children.
Udayan Care
has recognised this problem in India and has founded the Udayan Shalini
Fellowships, which are designed to provide higher education opportunities for
able and ambitious girls. Girls for this programme are selected through a
specially-designed assessment process which determines their Need, Ambition and
Talent. Competition is tough with places only being awarded to 1 in 12
applicants. Those selected will receive financial support for the duration of
their university degree of training course. Like other Udayan projects, the
Fellowship offers mentor support and has a focus on all-round development in
order to offer the girls the best chance of succeeding their chosen careers. Furthermore,
after they have completed their studies or training the programme monitors
their progress and offers advice to ensure they can live a happy and
independent life.
To date, the
Fellowship has helped over 2000 girls across 5 Indian states. The benefits of
education females also means that this will have transformed the lives of many
people beyond that 2000. Many of the participants in the Fellowship have gone
on to excellent academic and professional achievements and not only is this a
testament to the programme but also shows how much potential lies in women in
India if only they have the chance to unlock it.