empowHER India Signs Landmark MoU with Zilla Parishad, Raigad to Empower Adolescents through Life Skills Education

Raigad, Maharashtra - A transformative partnership was formalised between empowHER India, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering women and adolescents and the Department of Primary and Secondary Education under Zilla Parishad, Raigad. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), effective December 6, 2024, was signed by Ms Punita Gurav, District Education Officer (Primary), Zilla Parishad, Raigad, and Ms Anamara Baig, CEO of empowHER India, along with Mr Maharudra Nale, District Education Officer (Secondary), Zilla Parishad, Raigad, and Mr Satyajit Bade, Chief Executive Officer, Raigad Zilla Parishad. This MoU aims to enhance the holistic development of adolescent children through life skills education, financial literacy, gender sensitisation, and WaSH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) interventions.

The collaboration represents a significant step toward achieving equitable education and empowering adolescents to become confident, independent individuals.

empowHER India's Setu Program helps rural adolescents transition smoothly to adulthood by developing essential life skills, promoting gender equity, improving health, and enhancing financial literacy. It empowers adolescent girls to become independent, economically confident women. The program fosters self-expression, problem-solving, and community awareness on issues like sexual health, financial independence, and gender-based violence.
Since 2020, the Setu program has impacted over 1,900 girls in Karjat, expanded to 61 schools across Raigad in 2023, and reached 2,248 adolescents in 2024-25. The program is also scaling up to Chh. Sambhajinagar with 965 girls in 2024.
The School WaSH Program provides clean sanitation and water facilities in rural schools, reducing dropout rates, especially for girls. It involves parents and teachers in promoting hygiene and infrastructure improvements. Since 2022, 9 toilets were built in Karjat and Panvel, and 12 toilets retrofitted in Karjat, Alibaug, and Pen blocks.

Key Highlights and Scope of Work:
The partnership between empowHER India and Zilla Parishad aims to support the holistic development of adolescent children through several key initiatives:

Life Skills, Health, Gender, and Financial Literacy Sessions for Adolescents:
empowHER India will conduct interactive group sessions for adolescents, equipping them with critical life skills, financial knowledge, and confidence to achieve their aspirations. This initiative will impact students' overall development.

Training of Teachers:Training of Trainers (ToT) will be conducted at the block level for school teachers to enhance their capacities in Life Skills Education and WaSH practices. This will ensure a sustainable and informed approach to life skills education in schools.

Infrastructure Development in Schools: The initiative will focus on building toilets, handwashing stations, and providing water connections. Retrofitting and repairing existing toilets and water bodies will ensure proper sanitation and hygiene facilities for students.

Behavior Change Communication (BCC): BCC sessions will be organized for students, teachers, parents, and the School Management Committee (SMC) to ensure sustainable practices regarding hygiene and gender equality, promoting long-term behavior change in the community.

Support for Child Sexual Abuse Victims: empowHER India will provide support for victims of child sexual abuse, in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Department of Education and the Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD-ICDS), ensuring a protective and supportive environment for children.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Disha Thakur
Communications Manager
308, Nirman Kendra, Famous Studio Lane, Dr. E. Moses Road, Mahalakshmi, Mumbai 400011, Maharashtra
+91 9619318716
disha.thakur@empowherindia.org

About empowHER India:
empowHER India is a non-profit organization that approaches social issues through a gender perspective and prioritizes women and girls as the major beneficiaries of all its activities. For the past 30+ years, empowHER India has worked at a grassroots level to empower women and girls to create a more equitable society through various programs, including the Adolescent Children's Program (Setu) and the School WaSH Program.

About Education Department of Zilla Parishad, Raigad:
Education Department of Zilha Parishad administers key programs such as the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, which addresses the educational needs of children from pre-primary to higher secondary levels, the mid-day meal scheme to enhance nutrition and reduce dropout rates, and various scholarship initiatives aimed at supporting marginalized communities. The department is committed to achieving improved learning outcomes, holistic development of children and youth, promoting digital education, and creating a supportive environment for all learners.

This release was published on openPR.