One of the major areas of concern for the Pink Chain Foundation is the welfare and upliftment of the girl child. Social discrimination, economic exploitation, occupation of in domestic chores, low enrolment rate of girls in schools, lower retention rates and high dropout rates, all work towards making conditions pitiable. The main strategies adopted by the Government for increasing female literacy in the country include; National Literacy Mission for imparting functional literacy, Universalisation for Elementary Education and Non-Formal Education.

Though these endeavors did yield significant results, gender disparity persists with uncompromising tenacity, more so in the rural areas and among the disadvantaged communities. This is not only a matter of national anxiety and concern but also a matter of national conscience. It is therefore important to create an environment where women demand knowledge and information, empowering themselves to change their lives. The need is to inculcate in women the confidence that change is possible, if women work collectively.

We need to spread the message that education of women is a pre-condition for their fight against oppression, highlight the plight of the girl child and stress the need for universalisation of elementary education as a way of addressing the issue.

Literacy campaigns have heightened social awareness among women regarding the importance of education, both for themselves as well as for their children. Literacy campaigns motivate and encourage women learners to educate their children, particularly girls by enrolling them in formal schools. The best and more effective way to educate a community is by educating women.

Total literacy campaigns have provided illiterate adult women, who have been denied access to formal schooling, with a great opportunity for reading, writing, increasing awareness levels and skills training. Literacy campaigns have thus actively promoted gender equity and have sought to empower them as decision-makers for themselves, their families and their communities. Literacy campaigns have played a significant role in improving the status of women within their own families. Whereas traditionally, women have little say in the family decision making, they, through participation in literacy programs have begun to express their newly found self-belief in having say both within and without the family. Participation of women is literacy campaigns has opened several opportunities for neo-literate women to step out of the households and involve themselves in some enterprise or a new vocation

PINK CHAIN FOUNDATION
HDFC BANK LTD.
40-41. BENGALI MARKET, NEW DELHI 110001
C A/C 50200008540280
IFSC. HDFC0001376
MICR. 110240161