Empowering Assam's Girls: A Collaborative Roadmap

UNICEF India, ICC, and CII–YI have developed a roadmap to support girls in Assam's tea gardens and flood-prone areas. The initiative focuses on education, safety, and skills, encouraging businesses to align CSR activities with state programs to boost foundational learning and retention.

UNICEF India, the International Cricket Council (ICC), and CII–Young Indians (CII–YI) have unveiled a strategic roadmap to enhance educational and livelihood opportunities for girls in Assam's tea gardens and flood-prone areas. The blueprint aims to ensure girls remain in school during floods and transition into employment smoothly.

In his keynote address, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota stressed the importance of building a strong educational foundation followed by skill development, aligning with a design-focused approach. He advocated for aligning corporate social responsibility (CSR) resources with government programs to improve foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) outcomes.

UNICEF India's Deputy Representative, Arjan de Wagt, highlighted the dual accelerators of foundational learning and skills-to-work, emphasizing the impact of evidence-based support mechanisms such as timely teaching, mother-tongue educational materials, and continuity kits for flood periods. Ex-cricketer and ICC ambassador Jhulan Goswami urged families to join the ICC × UNICEF 'Promise to Children' pledge, inspiring support to keep girls in school.

(With inputs from agencies.)