On the occasion of International Girl Child Day (11 October), IPE Global and Centre for Knowledge and Development (CKD) jointly hosted NITI SAMVAAD, an event highlighting the importance of investing in and enabling young women to unlock their full potential to drive progress towards UN Sustainable Development Goal 5.
Bringing together stakeholders passionately working towards advancing the cause of gender equality and empowerment, the event saw the release of a policy brief titled Nurturing a Vibrant Girl Capital in India, with evidence-based, actionable recommendations to co-create an enabling environment for girls in India to unleash their full potential.
"Investing in girls is the foundation for nation-building. In India, eliminating gender disparities has the potential to deliver a remarkable 27% surge in GDP. A vibrant girl capital promises substantial social return and can steer social transformation and prosperity," the introduction of the brief read.
Calling the release of Policy Brief timely, Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, said, "On reading the brief, I can proudly say that we are on the right path. Such discussions that bring together eminent policymakers & academicians are very important today. Investing in girls and young women goes a long way in building girl capital."
Adding to the same Ashwajit Singh, Managing Director, IPE Global Limited, told The Quint, "While India has made progress in various aspects of gender equality, there is still work to be done to build "girl capital" in the country. On the occasion of Silver Jubilee celebration of IPE Global, we renew our commitment to advancing SDG Goal 5 and building girl capital by investing in the well-being, education, skills, and opportunities for girls to enable them to become empowered and productive members of society."
The panel discussion featured experts from various fields who shared their insights on the challenges and opportunities for building girl capital in India. Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying; Roli Singh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Dr Devang Khakhar, currently Professor and Former Director, IIT Bombay attended the event.
With a diverse representation and participation from the government, academia, policy makers, private sector, civil society among others, the event contributed to steering conversations around building girl capital in India and emphasised the need for continued efforts to ensure they have equal opportunities in education, health, and every aspect of life.
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