Girl Rising, the global campaign for girl’s education, partnered with Global India Fund, for an inspirational gala benefiting Girl Rising India. The red carpet gala, at the historic National Building Museum in Washington DC, celebrated International Day of the Girl with Girl Rising Producer and Ambassador Freida Pinto. She was joined by major corporate and philanthropic sponsors including AudemarsPiguet, Cisco, Avasant Foundation, NIKA, Infinite Computer Solutions, and the Sanju K. Bansal Foundation. Over 850 guests attended the event, which represented an unprecedented opportunity for people in the U.S. to support transformative change for girls across India and the world.
Ms. Pinto spoke passionately about the unique focus of the Girl Rising campaign. “There are many NGOS out there providing scholarships, building schools, buying books – and all of that is very important – but I believe we have to change the mindsets and attitudes that are keeping girls from school. If we don’t, there will be no girls to fill those classrooms and use those books.”She went on to underscore how powerful storytelling can change mindsets and ultimately raise the value of girls in our society.
“Tonight we celebrate International Day of the Girl, and hope to inspire everyone – from visionary philanthropists to corporate leaders – to join our campaign for girls in India. We need your help. Let’s dream big together. This is the beginning of something extraordinary” said Holly Gordon, Co-Founder and CEO of Girl Rising. “Many voices are mighty. Educating girls in India means a safer, healthier more prosperous future for everyone – men and women, girls and boys.”
“The vision of the campaign is to have all girls in India have equal right and access to education. We want to inspire parents to dream as big for their daughters as they do for their sons,” said Nidhi Dubey, country director of ‘Girl Rising India’. “We want to work on a behavioural change campaign that addresses that mindset,” she said adding that the initiative is in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Save Daughter, Educate Daughter’ campaign in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Hosted by Global India Fund, founder Amita Vyas, says “I can’t think of a more opportune time to raise the consciousness of people here in the U.S. who have the means to support programs for girls. Global India Fund embraced Girl Rising because it is bold, it is ambitious, and it is disruptive. We are going to disrupt the way girls are treated and valued. Girls in India are ready to fight for their rights but they can’t do it alone. They need each and every one of us.” Vyas is a professor at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, and Chair of the Girl Rising U.S.-India Advisory Board.
Also on the red carpet were Girl Rising advocate Nina Davuluri, first Indian-American ‘Miss America 2014’ and Nigerian American Actress Megalyn Echikunwoke.
