Google grants $2.5mn to 3 Indian non-profits to empower women

New Delhi, Nov 8 (IANS) Tech giant Google's philanthropic arm Google.org on Monday granted $2.5 million to three Indian non-profits to create pathways to prosperity for women and girls.

The three non-profits are Samhita-CGF, Pratham Education Foundation, and SwaTaleem Foundation, who will each receive funding to scale their projects in areas of skills development, education, and financial support, the tech giant said in a statement.

"We're extremely proud that three local recipients have been selected as part of this Challenge," it added.

The three non-profits are part of the 34 funding recipients of the Google.org Impact Challenge for Women and Girls from across 19 countries. These were selected among 7,800 applications.

Samhita-CGF's will get an $$800,000 grant for its "REVIVE Alliance" project, which aims to provide interest-free "returnable" grants to 10,000 women who do not have access to traditional finance support systems to invest in digitisation and cover their business needs.

Pratham will receive $1 million in funding to connect more than 7,000 rural, unemployed young women to jobs in the beauty and health industry and the male-dominated automotive, mechanics, and electrical industries.

With a $700,000 grant, SwaTaleem and Humane Warriors will educate marginalised girls and women in rural India through a creative, low-tech platform. Through an app and automated audio files played on speaker phones, it circumvents the need for the Internet while providing girls access to traditional subjects such as maths and science, as well as socio-emotional and financial literacy training such as how to open a bank account.

Google further stated that to support and advance these investments, Google.org, Google's Accelerator team, and Women Techmakers will run a four-month global virtual accelerator programme where highly skilled Googlers will provide pro bono support that includes training, networking, and mentorship.

"As we continue to invest in efforts to extend opportunities to women to reach their potential, and enhance their lives, and that of their families, communities, and the economy, partnerships with organisations such as these will be key. We're encouraged by the variety of approaches they are taking and their ongoing impact, and excited to support their work where it matters most," Google said.