CB BureauEdelGive Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Edelweiss
Capital Ltd, recently announced the winners of the Third EdelGive Social Innovation
Honours (ESIH).
Following a four-stage evaluation process, five NGOs
were chosen for their innovative work in the areas of health and well-being,
education, livelihoods, governance, and social and cultural rights of women. A prize
money of Rs 50 lakh is being awarded to each winner in the respective category.
The winning NGOs include Foundation to Educate Girls
Globally (education), Jan Chetna Manch (health and well-being), Prajwala (economic
security and livelihoods), The Hunger Project (governance) and STEPS Women
Development Organisation (Socio-Cultural rights).
Foundation to Educate Girls Globally is a Rajasthan-based organization
and was commended for its Educate Girls project. The project has significantly
improved girls’ enrollment, retention and academic performance in government
schools by leveraging existing community and government resources in the state.
According to Safeena Husain, executive director, Educate
Girls, ‘Girls’ education is the greatest investment our country can make today.
Educate a girl and birth rates fall, family health improves, household income
rises, political extremism and violence declines. Moreover, literacy
accelerates as an educated mother is very likely to send her children to school.’
NGO Jan Chetna Manch from Jharkhand was acknowledged for their
work towards empowering and improving the lives of the weakest and
poorest in the villages of Bokaro district, with a particular aim of improving
the overall health and well-being of poor rural women.
Prajwala of Andhra Pradesh is an anti-trafficking
organization that rescues women and children from prostitution, enabling their
psychological recovery, and rehabilitating and reintegrating trafficked victims
back into the society.
The Hunger Project of New Delhi is committed towards gender
equality and women’s empowerment through political participation.
STEPS Women Development Organisation (Socio-Cultural Rights)
of Tamil Nadu is a women’s organization that works on issues of
violence and women’s rights, with a sharpened and special focus on the rights
of Muslim women.
According to Vidya Shah, executive director and head,
EdelGive Foundation, ‘In India, a high number of women and girls remain
marginalized and disempowered. Through the ESIH awards, EdelGive Foundation
over the last three years has raised the awareness of issues surrounding women
and the girl child, and has supported organizations with positive approaches to
tackle these challenges. Going forward, EdelGive is committed to supporting distinctive
work of these NGOs through both funding and capacity-building support.’
ESIH’s objective is to showcase and support organizations
with unique approaches to tackle challenges that women face in the country.
The winners have been selected from a pool of 235
participants across India. The selection process involved a four-stage
evaluation process supported by Ernst & Young as process advisors and
official tabulators, and included an initial application, short listing by an
internal jury, visits by field assessors from the Tata Institute of Social
Sciences, and final selection by an external jury of prominent members from the
corporate, media and social sectors.