Smile Foundation India
SUPPORT A CAUSE
Logo
Smile Foundation India
DONATE NOW

Author: Smile Foundation

Categories
Livelihood

Designing the Life You Love: Livelihood First

Are Core Skills Important in the 21st Century?
Are Core Skills Important in the 21st Century?

In today’s rapidly changing world, it is essential for young individuals to think creatively and design the life they love. However, the youth from marginalised communities in India face significant challenges in terms of unemployment or underemployment. It is due to a lack of qualifications and training. 

To address this issue, many nonprofits and other organisations are dedicated to transforming the lives of these young individuals by providing industry exposure, career counseling, placement support, and post-placement assistance.

Live the Life You Love: Unlocking Your Potential

Living a life you love entails pursuing your passions, exploring your strengths, and aligning your career with your personal goals. However, many youths in India find themselves trapped in jobs that do not fulfill them, primarily due to a lack of opportunities or skills. 

The livelihood programme, STeP (Smile Twin e-Learning Programme) initiated by Smile Foundation aims to change this narrative by empowering young individuals to think creatively and discover their true potential. By providing them with industry exposure, the programme gives valuable exposure to participants to various sectors with significant growth potential, allowing them to explore and identify career paths that align with their interests and aspirations.

Creativity alone is not enough; it must be combined with strategic thinking to achieve tangible results. STeP instills strategic thinking skills in participants, enabling them to navigate challenges, identify opportunities, and build successful livelihoods.

Skill Development and Upskilling: Steps to Live The Life You Love

One of the key components of the livelihood programme is skill development and upskilling. The staggering youth population in India possesses immense talent and potential, but without the necessary qualifications and training, they often face barriers to entering the job market. 

STeP bridges this gap by providing comprehensive training to equip participants with the required skills and knowledge. Through workshops, vocational training, and practical experience, young individuals gain valuable insights and enhance their employability.

STeP recognises the importance of thinking creatively and encourages participants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. By nurturing their innovative thinking and problem-solving abilities, the programme inspires young individuals to create their own opportunities and contribute to the country’s economic growth. 

Through mentorship and guidance, participants learn to think outside the box, identify market gaps, and develop sustainable business models.

Industry Exposure and Career Counseling

To succeed in their chosen careers, young individuals require industry exposure and guidance. The livelihood programme provides participants with valuable opportunities to interact with professionals from different sectors. 

This exposure enables them to gain insights into industry practices, understand market trends, and build networks that can prove instrumental in their career development. Moreover, career counseling sessions assist participants in making informed decisions about their career paths, ensuring they choose fields that align with their skills and interests.

The impact of STeP extends beyond individual lives; it reaches entire communities. Discover how the initiative fosters a culture of collaboration, community support, and shared growth. 

We focus on the ripple effect created by empowering individuals to design the life they love. This leads to sustainable change at the grassroots level.

Sustaining Success

Securing employment is just the beginning of the journey toward a fulfilling career. STeP extends its support beyond placement by providing post-placement assistance to participants. 

This support includes mentoring, monitoring, and follow-up sessions to ensure participants smoothly transition into their new roles. Additionally, the programme fosters a sense of community among participants, allowing them to share experiences, seek guidance, and continue their professional development even after securing employment.

Designing the life you love is not an elusive dream but an attainable reality. Through our livelihood programme, individuals are empowered to think creatively, embrace their passions, and chart their own course to success. 

Join this transformative journey of self-discovery, personal empowerment, and community development through livelihood preparation of the Indian Youth.

Categories
Education

Breaking the Illusion of Knowledge: The Ugly Side of Internet

Teacher's Day: Smile Foundation
Students happy with their teacher

Knowing that ‘you don’t know much’ is the mark of a person ready to learn. However, the online (internet, social media) era has ushered in a time where everyone knows something about everything without actually having proper knowledge of most topics.

Information on anything is a click away. Access to a lot of information or easy accessibility to information does not amount to being knowledgeable, it just creates an illusion of knowledge. 

The Good and Bad of the Internet 

The Internet has done a ton of good for humanity, bringing knowledge, books, and scholarly articles from one part of the world to another. That too without any expense, to your fingertip. It has connected people via social media, made cultural integration easy, travel convenient, and learning effortless. A research paper from Harvard Law School can be accessed by a law student in India maybe for a nominal price. 

However, there is a flip side to the internet. The information that is available on the internet and on social media posts or forwards may be false, misleading, and unverified. The fake news has created a menace in society, misleading and inciting people into committing acts of violence and developing feelings of hatred.  

Experts say that manipulative actors will use new digital tools to take advantage of humans’ inbred preference for comfort and convenience and their craving for the answers they find in reinforcing echo chambers rather than giving them actual truth, facts, and knowledge. 

The Knowledge Illusion: Curse of the Online Era

Let us first understand the terms knowledge and illusion individually. 

  • In simpler terms, the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines knowledge as the information, understanding, and skills that you gain through education or experience. 

So having knowledge of something or a subject is more than acquiring information from the internet or on WhatsApp forwards. It’s about a personal experience of the thing that involves study, learning, deliberation, and intuition. For example, everyone driving a car if asked whether they know how a car works, would immediately access the know-how from a simple internet search but that would be superficial. However, we can for sure say that a car mechanic certainly has knowledge about cars. 

  • Illusion is a gap between perception and reality.  According to the Cambridge University dictionary, an illusion is an idea or belief that is not true or something that is not really what it seems to be.

Thus, the illusion of knowledge is a bias in favor of knowing a thing, a subject, or a concept when actually we may not really know it. The illusion of knowledge psychology study, vis-a-vis the effect of the internet has shown that searching the internet for information may make people feel smarter than they actually are.

Studies have proven that people tend to overestimate their knowledge based on the information that they are able to access online. Studies have shown that ready access to external source information is confused with actual personal knowledge. 

False Information Channels

The number of graduates from the infamously named WhatsApp University is increasing by the day. The only requirement for admission is a fully functioning smartphone with good data packs. The internet has made us lazy. We can find a one-liner answer to anything immediately on the internet without actually indulging in a little more study. 

Giving a two-word answer to every kind of inconsistent weather behavior i.e. global warming without actually knowing what is global warming or what is the actual reason for such an inconsistent weather pattern is the norm nowadays.

Researchers state that the convenience of getting quick and easy answers in an instant, on demand might be making us overconfident in our own abilities. The price of zipping among lots of bits of information is a loss of depth in our thinking.

Stephen Hawking was a renowned physicist, best known for his discovery that black holes emit radiation, once said, “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is an illusion of knowledge.” 

Sincerity in Learning: A Life-long Retention of Knowledge 

Internet and social media have made accessibility to a plethora of knowledge just a search away. Students or adults access these in order to get ready and quick answers rather than actually understanding the concept or the phenomenon. 

If a student is asked, “How does a car move?” These days they will probably look it up on Google. The first answer is “Specifically, an internal-combustion engine is a heat engine in that it converts energy from the heat of burning gasoline into mechanical work, or torque. That torque is applied to the wheels to make the car move.”

Few more clicks and they will have a working idea of how the car moves, never to go forward into more details such as laws of motion, friction, and force. In a few days, they will forget the same. 

The catch is that when our brain knows that it can access something again easily then it tends not to store and retain it. Online studies and exams make cheating easy and the kids, knowing that they don’t have to work hard to get good grades, might avoid doing as much work as possible.

On the other hand, students going to schools will have to work hard and sincerely to earn grades because they have oversight of teachers and parents. In exams, they cannot cheat and they will have to actually read the books, visit libraries and make physical notes. This makes learning more tangible and real. It fosters sincerity.  

Learning Thoroughly: The Answer to Breaking The Illusion of Knowledge

Learning through a click is more short-lived than learning by doing and reading. While online learning, if done rightly and sincerely can be helpful as it saves time, connects with peer groups, and gives access to repositories of knowledge from across the world. However, it cannot replace offline learning. 

Offline learning enables interaction with fellow students in a real-time environment. Questions and answers will happen instantly with follow-up queries and one-to-one feedback. Teachers will be there to solve your queries instantly in an engaging and sensitive manner with the required amount of human emotions. 

It would be more reliable. Save students from all fake news, misinformation, doctored narratives, and propaganda. The student will access books and visit libraries to learn more and have in-depth knowledge. This will also reduce strain on the eyes due to all the screen time. 

So the right amount of balance has to be struck between offline and online learning. Less reliance on easy methods and more learning from libraries. After all, actual knowledge is the only way forward for humans, societies, and their growth rather than the illusion of it.

Smile Foundation and The Foundation of Knowledge

With Shiksha Na Ruke, Smile Foundation is trying to bring every child back to school and continue their journey of education. The purpose is to promote and make education more accessible among underserved children in rural and urban India. The emphasis is on imparting the kind of quality education that makes children become truly knowledgeable by finding ways of applying their intellect for purposes and reasons that further the cause of humanity.

Categories
Insights Women Empowerment

The Pronoun ‘she’ and Its Role in Women Empowerment

What do women in developing countries need the most?
What do women in developing countries need the most?

Gender inequality isn’t new. History books are packed with stories of women suffering physical, mental, and emotional damage due to the assumed higher importance of their opposite gender. Men used prevailing societal norms that saw them as the torchbearers of humanity to commit widespread atrocities on women, keeping them within four walls. As society evolved and education became mainstream, the bubble burst, and women’s rights became a central issue. Significant progress in gender equality and women’s empowerment is felt, using the pronoun ‘she’ is seen as the final piece of the jigsaw.

Pronouns: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

Language is a fundamental part of our lives. It’s as essential as the air around us, helping communicate our needs, problems, and ideas and making life easier.

However, the English language was also biased towards men for years. The masculine pronoun ‘he’ has been and still is the default pronoun for both sexes. From media to books and government records, ‘he’ is used for everyone, including women.

The world has changed, but using ‘he’ even today suggests the deep roots of patriarchal norms still dominate society. It’s unfair to men, as it marginalises them and doesn’t honour their hard work and contribution to humanity’s good.

Using pronouns is a small but important step toward gender equality and women empowerment. ‘She’ replacing ‘he’ can break the traditional gender hierarchy and create a more inclusive language. Reading ‘she’ in books, media stories, and government records can demonstrate women are central to humanity and help millions of young girls.

Pronouns can also help counter gender stereotypes. Widespread use of ‘she’ and its mainstreaming can dissolve differences between genders, allowing ideas, innovations, and conversations to flow fluidly.

This can promote a more positive image of women in society, which can positively impact the self-esteem of women and girls. They’d feel valued when hearing themselves referred to as ‘she’. This may encourage them to break stereotypes professionally or academically.

‘She’ is a powerful tool that can propel nations forward. Happy and included females can bring positive change through their work and inspire millions of young girls.

They can also motivate non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals to strive harder for their rights and the chance to speak. But breaking down the gender binary is essential for it. This is where the ‘she’ pronoun can come in handy.

India and Women Equality

India’s growth shows no signs of stopping. The country has moved up the global economic ladder rapidly since 2015, overtaking Brazil, the United Kingdom (UK), Russia, Italy, and France in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Soon, India may leave behind Germany and become the fourth-largest economy in the world.

However, India still has major issues in several areas, including gender equality and women’s empowerment. India ranked 135th out of 146 countries in gender parity terms on World Economic Forum (WEF)’s annual Gender Gap Report 2022.

The country’s cultural and societal norms act as a stumbling block. The boy child is still preferred by Indian parents, with girls lacking the same opportunity as their male siblings in rural India.

Fortunately, the Indian government has launched initiatives to change the scenario and bring more inclusivity to Indian households. The Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme is one of several efforts by the Government addressing the role of education in women empowerment.

‘She’ Pronoun in India

With an Internet user base of over 800 million, India is the centrepiece of societal change. The ‘She’ pronoun wave reached India simultaneously with the West, with women highlighting the importance of gender equality.

The Indian government, to its credit, has been modern in its approach and welcomed the usage of the ‘She’ pronoun in India. It made legislative history at the end of 2022, using the pronouns “She” and “Her” for genders in the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022.

Tweeting on the change, India’s Communications Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said, “We have attempted in the philosophy of women’s empowerment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s government works to use the words she and her in the entire bill, instead of he, him and his. So this is an innovative thing which has been attempted in the bill.”

The move didn’t receive enough attention, partly due to the controversial nature of the bill and the opposition’s views. However, it is a step forward and syncs perfectly with the government’s “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” campaign and similar women’s empowerment programs in India.

Still, A Long Way to Go

Using the ‘She’ pronoun on a government bill is a revolutionary step demonstrating the government knows the importance of gender equality in development. However, it is the first in several measures to transform the Indian patriarchal society.

Unfair gender stereotypes still exist in India and cause significant mental, physical, and financial trauma to women. The Indian government must stay determined in women empowerment efforts to address these problems. It must promote inclusivity and empower women and girls to see themselves as equal members of society.

Smile Foundation and Women Empowerment

Smile Foundation’s aim is to address the concern through a simple but effective approach involving the community. Through innovative community practices, the programme seeks to make the marginalised and socially-excluded women and adolescent girls realise their inner strength and individual and collective self-esteem.

The women empowerment programme, Swabhiman aims to enhance their access to basic healthcare, nutrition, and knowledge about the different government schemes and bring an overall improvement in the quality of their lives. Potential women entrepreneurs are identified and supported with dedicated programmes to build an ecosystem for them to progress and excel.

Categories
Education Livelihood

National Technology Day 2023 and STEM/STEAM Education

National Technology Day 2023 and STEM/STEAM Education
Children experimenting with STEM Education

In 1998, India made history by conducting a successful nuclear test at Pokhran under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. India’s former President was the man who spearheaded the project and helped India in proving its mettle around the world. National Technology Day is celebrated in India on May 11th every year to commemorate the successful Pokhran nuclear tests conducted in 1998. National Technology Day 2023 will be celebrated this year to mark the same.

The day honors the important role that Indian scientists and engineers have played in the growth of the nation’s technology sector. The occasion is observed nationwide with a variety of activities that emphasise the value of technology in contemporary society. It gives the most recent technical developments a platform and inspires young people to seek careers in science and technology.

Reason for Celebrating National Technology Day

The Indian government recognises scientists, researchers, and engineers who have made major contributions to the development of the nation’s technology on this day. It also acknowledges the effort and commitment put forth by those responsible for the nuclear tests at Pokhran. Every year, National Technology Day has a different topic. The goal is always to raise awareness of technology and its advantages for society.

The day promotes the expansion of the technology industry and serves as a reminder of the value of spending money on research and development. In conclusion, National Technology Day honours the contributions made by Indian scientists and engineers to the technological sphere. It emphasises the significance of technology in forming a contemporary society and promotes innovation, research, and progress.

As we prepare ourselves to celebrate May 11 National Technology Day, we are living in the era of STEM/STEAM. These fields are transforming our world and are creating new opportunities for the future. This is the reason why we must discuss the need for improving STEM/STEAM education and professional opportunities in India as we celebrate this day.

Why is STEM/STEAM Important?

The world is evolving at an unprecedented rate, and it’s more important than ever to focus on STEM/STEAM education. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, while STEAM incorporates the Arts, which include design and creativity, into the traditional STEM subjects. STEM/STEAM education is important as it helps prepare students for the demands of the 21st-century job market. 

As technology continues to advance, there is a growing need for individuals who have a deep understanding of these subjects. STEM/STEAM education provides students with the skills and knowledge required to excel in high-demand fields such as engineering, computer science, biotechnology, and robotics. Moreover, STEM/STEAM education helps to nurture critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential in today’s world. 

By encouraging students to think creatively and analytically, STEM/STEAM education prepares them to face real-world challenges and come up with innovative solutions. STEM/STEAM education also helps to close the gender gap in these fields, where there is still an under-representation of women By promoting diversity and inclusivity, STEM/STEAM education creates opportunities for all students, regardless of their gender or background.

STEM/STEAM Education and India

Nearly 80% of employment in the upcoming ten years, according to the National Science Foundation, will require science and math expertise. India has made significant progress in the field of STEM/STEAM education in recent years. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, India ranks third in the world in the number of graduates in science, engineering, and technology fields. 

The government has launched several initiatives such as Atal Innovation Mission, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and Smart Cities Mission to promote STEM/STEAM education and research. However, there is still a need to focus on quality education, teacher training, and infrastructure development to ensure that students receive a world-class education in these fields. Additionally, there are visible efforts to promote diversity and inclusivity in STEM/STEAM education to bridge the gender and socioeconomic gap.

India has a large pool of talented students with a strong interest in science and technology. There is a growing demand for skilled professionals in these areas. India is already a global leader in the IT industry, and the country is well-positioned to become a leader in other high-demand fields such as biotechnology, engineering, and robotics. 

The government’s initiatives such as Digital India, Make in India, and Startup India are providing a boost to the technology sector, leading to a surge in innovation and entrepreneurship. Moreover, there is a growing emphasis on promoting STEM/STEAM education among girls and underrepresented communities, leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce in these fields.

Significance of STEM/STEAM on National Technology Day 2023

The awareness of why national technology day is celebrated is still not common in India. However, in today’s world, where the importance of technology is paramount, we must celebrate this day and work towards making technology education in India the best. As we observe National Technology Day 2023, it is essential to reflect on the importance of STEM/STEAM education in India. The country’s progress in these fields has been remarkable, but there is still a long way to go. 

For India to be at the forefront of innovation and technology, there is a need to focus on quality education. Infrastructure development and research are important elements in that cause. Additionally, there should be efforts to promote diversity and inclusivity in STEM/STEAM education to provide equal opportunities for all students, regardless of their gender or background. By investing in STEM/STEAM education, India can prepare its students for the demands of the 21st-century job market. This can help build a prosperous and equitable society. 

National Technology Day is a reminder of the significant contribution of Indian scientists and engineers. We must continue to build on their legacy by focusing on STEM/STEAM education in the years to come.

Smile Foundation and STEM/STEAM Education

STEM Learning envisions developing skills to innovate along with critical thinking and reasoning. Smile Foundation in collaboration with many organisations promotes this through their Mission Education and Child For Child programmes.

With an aim to align students with STEM-based education, workshops on programming languages, and robotics take place. The workshops also include interactive rounds of queries and discussions with the trainers. It’s a great learning and fulfilling experience for the children and everyone else in these STEM-related projects.

Categories
Health Nutrition

Food Security and Learning Outcomes in Children 

Food Security and Learning Outcomes in Children 
Close to 100 children from Katada village in Angul, Odisha are provided education and nutritious meals at Smile Foundation's Mission Education centre - Nari Suraksha Samiti.

A hungry child is an angry child, and an angry child’s attention and interest in learning and getting an education are adversely impacted. Though the Indian Constitution does not provide for a clear and detailed provision stating the right to food for all, the assumption is that the fundamental right to life outlined in Article 21 of the Constitution has more than one meaning. Its interpretation includes not just the right to live with human dignity, but also that said life must have the right to food and other basic necessities.

It’s no secret that there is a link between food and education among children. The fuller the stomach the better one’s progress at school. Food insecurity amongst children can have an adverse effect on their education. This impacts their overall growth and development. It can have harmful consequences for the children and the fabric into which humanity is sewn.  

Child food insecurity, while being a national problem and the responsibility of the governing leaders, is also an educational problem.  Children facing food insecurity often do worse in school. Food insecurity negatively affects their ability to concentrate and achieve academically. Children facing food insecurity often struggle with social and behavioral problems.

Many studies have shown established patterns that link food insecurity with higher rates of a wide range of adolescent mood, behavior and substance abuse issues. Research has also thrown up examples that connect food insecurity starting as early as infancy. This weakens a child’s attachment to the parents in later years. This also negatively affects children’s mental health as they grow and attempt adjustments later in life. 

Delayed or stunted development in young children; emotional angst and feelings of abandonment, fear of chronic illnesses like asthma and anemia; as well as other behavioral problems like hyperactivity, anxiety and aggression in school-going children are observed to be some of the common issues that plague children who are affected by lack of proper meals and nutrition during their growing years.

India’s Initiative

Whilst the government has continuously tried to address the issue of food supplies to marginalised communities, through schemes such as the Targeted Public Distribution System, it was the landmark act of the National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 on July 5, 2013. Its implementation saw a paradigm shift in the approach to food security from welfare to becoming a constitutional rights-based approach.

The Act legally entitled up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System. In this manner, the government aims to provide about two-thirds of the population to receive highly subsidized food grains.  

The Act also puts the power of food distribution into the hands of women of the households. It has a mandate making the oldest woman of the household of age 18 years or above act as the head of the household. It gives her the authority mandate to apply and get a ration card for her family. 

Taking it Further

The main points for any legislation to achieve its target rest on the following factors– 

Availability

Adequate availability is the primary cornerstone of any programme or scheme. It’s imperative that staples and basic food grains are manufactured in abundance to ensure proper and equitable distributions. Especially amongst the households that need them the most. Availability of these should also be enough to cater to specific initiatives. A good example is the ‘mid-day meal’ which targets school children and their nutritional needs. 

Accessibility

Easy accessibility is another key factor. The targeted public distribution system which is in place, caters to both urban and rural regions of the country.  While reaching within urban areas is not difficult and poses no problems for distribution, it is the far-flung and remote rural lands deprived of essential food supplies. Even though there is a robust framework to provide marginalised households with subsidised food grains, more often than not, this endeavor fails due to poor distribution systems and accessible channels.

Affordability

Even though the government offers subsidised staples and food grains to the households that need them most, they must factor in the cost and evaluate if the subsidised costs are affordable to the targeted households. It’s very possible that marginalised households in the urban metros and smaller cities are able to afford the subsidies offered but that may not hold true for similar households in rural areas and villages. 

Useful Takeaways about Food Security and Children’s Learning Outcomes

All these factors can influence a child’s behavior and prevent a positive educational impact. There are laws and schemes in place to provide for children’s food security and ensure that they stay in school. But families still have constraints that make them pull out their kids from a learning environment to a working environment. 

At the grassroots level, the observation is that subsidies, midday meals at schools and other such positive programmes still need a lot of work. There are still children who indulge in child labour in order to provide for their families and themselves. As a country, we collectively need to work harder to put each child in school and place timely nutritious meals on their plates every day without fail.

Smile Foundation and Healthy Diets of Children

Smile Foundation in its education programme, Mission Education also ensures that the children are provided with healthy meals for their holistic development and growth. Children, after all, are the ones who will carry the baton of the nation’s responsibilities tomorrow. Every effort should be made to equip them with great intelligence and healthy bodies.

Categories
Women Empowerment

Women Betting Big on Boardrooms 

Women Betting Big on Boardrooms 
Women taking leadership roles

Stories give us perspective and context. Inspiration gives us hope and encourages belief that if you believe enough then no wall is strong enough to stop your progress. Here are a few stories of women on boards and in leadership positions of businesses that will inspire us all. 

Stories of Inspiration

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is India’s richest self-made woman. She is the founder of Biocon. In terms of revenue, Biocon is  India’s largest listed pharmaceutical firm.  She has earned two of India’s highest civilian awards, the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan. Her net worth is more than Rs 36000 Crores.

Indra Nooyi was CEO of Pepsico. for 12 years. She was the first woman to lead the company. Under her leadership, Pepsi reached new heights. She introduced a large number of strategic changes that led to the company’s net revenue growing at an annualized rate of 5.5%, reaching $63.5 billion last year while $79.4 billion was returned to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases.

Urvi A Piramal After her husband passed away, although devastated, she chose to venture into the world of business. After a family split in 2005, she inherited a loss-making business. But, with her utter ingenuity, within the span of six years, she paved the way for establishing the successful and famous Ashok Piramal Group with textile, real estate and auto components. 

Introduction: Beginning of Women on Boards

Unsaid and largely disregarded is the contribution of women to India’s and the world’s success. Behind every success story, there is a woman. A woman, in her many roles as a mother, wife, sister, etc. leads households, nourishing us. They take care of the family’s needs, teach us core cultural and moral values, and make the best decision for homes. 

In addition to all these, they are great at savings too. Having said so, we are positive that women on boards work wonders for businesses worldwide.

Women in Workforce: The More, the Merrier 

Presently, the women’s contribution to GDP in India is merely 18%. In the formal sector, Indian women’s participation is abysmal 24%, the lowest among developing nations. Research shows that if equal opportunities are given to women then India could add US$ 770 billion to its GDP by 2025.  It is also estimated that if women’s participation in the formal sector is the same as that of men, the Indian economy could grow by an additional 60% adding 2.9 trillion by 2025. 

An economy’s growth has a direct positive relationship with the number of women participating in the workforce, having equal opportunities and fair workplace policies. So it’s only logical that female leadership in the workplace will be effective and productive. Women lead companies are doing great. Women are now being touted as the economic foundation of new-age India. 

The popular TV reality show Shark Tank India includes women judges, Vineeta Singh, Namita Thapar and Ghazal Alagh. These women judges in our humble opinion are better entrepreneurs than their male counterparts in many aspects. These women are strong, erudite, and financially sound; they have come a long way in the male-dominated patriarchal society of India.

We all know that traditionally mainly men provided for the families however when the women also work then there are two pairs of hands providing for the family. Studies have shown that the inclusion of women in the workforce has created jobs and assisted millions of families in escaping destitution.

The Power of Women in Boards: Formula for Success

According to a study, globally, women hold only 19.7 percent of board seats, only 6.7 percent of board chair positions, only 5 percent of CEO, and only 15.7 percent of CFO positions. In India only 17.1% of board members are female. 10% of Fortune 500 companies’ CEOs are women. These numbers are growing but in reality, a snail moves faster than these numbers. 

In India, women-led businesses are 10% of all formal enterprises. As per recent figures, women comprise 14 % of the total entrepreneurs in India, which works out to 8 million. The MSME industry comprises 20.37 % women-led businesses that employ about 23.3 percent of the labor population. Around 14  million businesses in India are owned by women, who hire between 22 and 27 million individuals. 

The world does not only need more female participation in the labor force but in leadership roles as well. It is seen that women-led companies are doing as well as any other company, often better. Studies show the importance of female leadership in the workplace. 

Women in leadership positions in businesses are positively correlated to both financial and non-financial parameters. A gender-diverse board and women in leadership positions contribute positively to a company’s environment, social & governance (ESG) performance and overall growth.

Women Leadership—  Shot at Long-lasting Success 

49.58 % of the world’s population are women. However, as shown above, women in leadership positions, either in the workforce or in leadership roles in businesses are nowhere close to the population they comprise of. Women taking care of households are in control of household consumption. So naturally businesses target women consumers however the very same businesses do not have women on boards. 

The importance of women in leadership positions in the workplace simply lies in the fact that it would bring a diversity of perspectives in business. More diversity would foster more creativity. Women by virtue of their biological setup bring with them special skill sets, knowledge and values. Different perspectives will lead to better foresight and risk assessment, mitigation and management. 

Women-led companies would have women-friendly policies. It would inspire confidence in the female workforce. Women will feel safe and represented. This ultimately would lead to companies overall growth. 

Women apply certain leadership behaviors such as employee development, expectations and rewards, role model, inspiration and participative decision making which makes companies having women in leadership positions outperform the companies that do not. 

This blog started with stories of inspiration. Therefore, it is only befitting to end with such stories. 

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), a semiconductor company, got a woman employee called Lisa Su in 2012. Under her leadership as AMD’s CEO in 2014, the world witnessed one of the greatest recent turnarounds in the tech industry. AMD’s stock value has increased more than 25-fold since Su became CEO. 

Asma Ishaq is CEO of Modere, a consumer products company that develops and markets clean, health and wellness products. Forbes included Modere in the top 10 Health & Beauty e-commerce companies. Under Ishaq’s leadership, company revenue has skyrocketed, growing by over 1,700 percent from 2016 to 2020.

Smile Foundation and Women in Leadership Roles

Smile Foundation through its women empowerment programme, Swabhiman is making continuous efforts to create women leaders by investing valuable resources in women from vulnerable backgrounds who show great potential in entrepreneurship. Many workshops and other activities are held for enabling women to reach their true potential and goals.

Not only this, but many of the female employees of Smile Foundation are also in leadership roles heading various programmes and departments of the organisation.

Categories
Education

Movement from STEM to STEAM: Upholding The Culture of Art

Movement from STEM to STEAM

As the world has evolved so must our learning techniques and knowledge offerings. What was relevant a decade ago may not necessarily be equally relevant today. Change happens not just in the way we live but also in the way we think, learn and work.  Recently, one of the most important changes has been observed in our education system. 

Traditionally, our education gives strong emphasis on Science, Technology Engineering and Math, commonly called STEM education. While this has worked well in the past, sweeping changes in technology, fluid work environments and the rise of new-age professions have given a certain level of redundancy to STEM education.

Today we are desiring more from our educational framework and curriculum.  That’s why the movement from STEM to STEAM.

STEM to STEAM Education

STEAM is an educational discipline that engages students in the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics. The tenets of STEM have been retained and Arts has been added so as to provide a more holistic and collaborative approach to education.

With the addition of Arts, giving education a cultural edge, today’s students and tomorrow’s professionals have unlimited scope and flexibility. They can now explore opportunities that have arisen in today’s modern changing world, opportunities that have a greater degree of great socio-cultural resonance.

STEAM Approach to Education

STEAM-related fields are redefining educational priorities. Today we see global shortages in the skilled workforce, especially for new-age professions. Keeping this in mind, academic institutions are starting STEAM-based learning programmes to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the 21st century.

Positive STEAM learning outcomes will not only produce tomorrow’s designers and engineers; it will develop innovative mindsets and the ability to problem-solve, ensuring that today’s students become creators of technology, not just passive consumers. 

The STEAM discipline allows students to leverage both hard and soft skills to solve problems. Collaboration, joint problem solving and a hands-on approach make the students connect with each other. This helps them work as an integrated unit with a single-minded focus on a common cause or issue.

Encouraging these collaborations amongst students gives them freedom and space to think laterally and progress in a manner that’s best suited for their capabilities and not get stuck in a conservative format of learning.  

STEM Vs STEAM

It would not be correct to draw lines of comparison between the two disciplines. As STEAM is an advanced version of STEM, one can safely say that both old and new hold a relevant place in educational frameworks. However, with the addition of Art, we can see tremendous benefits that come from understanding and inculcating culture within this framework. 

Benefits of Adding Art to STEM Learning

  • Out-of-the-box thinking 
  • Empowered to express innovative and creative ideas 
  • Feels comfortable doing practical training and learning hands-on. 
  • Innovative and takes take ownership over their learning
  • Works collaboratively and collectively with others
  • Is curious to understand how science, math, arts, and technology can work together and what solutions can they provide
  • A heightened sense of responsibility makes the STEAM students more aware and empowered to change the world for/ the better.

The benefits to students and the world from adopting STEAM education are vast and unlimited. With the new economy – whose foundations are knowledge and digitalization- newer skills,  newer professions and new requirements will keep cropping up.

75% of today’s fast-growing careers require STEAM skills and 82% of today’s employees say they value STEAM skills, even if they are not required for the job. And we as a society should cater to these demands easily and successfully.

Even at the educational level, embracing STEAM-based curricula will promote an atmosphere of culture, democracy, critical thinking and integral development of human beings who are ready and fit to meet the needs and demands of our current and future society. 

Smile Foundation and STEAM Learning

Smile Foundation realises that STEAM Learning envisions developing skills to innovate along with critical thinking and reasoning. We promote this through our national-level initiatives like Mission Education by conducting interactive workshops and providing training material pertaining to STEAM education.

Categories
Education Health

Child NGOs in India

Women Empowerment through a Holistic Approach
Child NGOs in India

Children all over the world are a vulnerable lot, they are the ones that need the most protection and care. We as a society have a collective duty towards the less fortunate for their growth and safety. 

This is where NGOs step in. Nonprofits everywhere in the world play a significant role and are key partners to identify the gaps and fill the cracks that children tend to fall into. The cracks of neglect, poverty and exploitation. Social development workers are able to provide basic ground-level support to kids and their families to help build a better and brighter future.

Role Of Child NGOs in India Towards Child Support, Protection and Development

NGOs contribute mainly towards child education, healthcare, women empowerment, livelihood and nutrition. All our welfare schemes are based on these pillars. India has many NGOs that are leading in their efforts toward child welfare by ensuring access to the above-mentioned facilities. Let’s list a few— 

  • Smile Foundation has supported over 15,00,000 children and their families every year, through more than 400+ live welfare projects on education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment. This presence is in over 2000 remote villages and slums across 25 states of India. Ensuring that children eat healthy food and are in schools, we are trying to keep children out of the poverty, neglect and exploitative child labour cycles. Reaching the urban village and rural populations, the organisation is making efforts for making facilities available in spaces of great difficulty.
  • CRY (Child Rights and You) provides kids with free and quality education as well as primary healthcare. They ensure that children are safe from violence, abuse, and exploitation. They also work towards reducing the rate of child malnutrition in India. 
  • Pratham is an education initiative that focuses on quality and affordable learning programs that address gaps in the education system. The Pratham programmes reach millions of lives every year, both children and youth as well through strong rural collaborations with governments.

NGOs form the bedrock of childcare services. Their contribution towards ending society’s evils like child labour, infant mortality rates, and improving child education is noteworthy. 

The fruitful partnerships of nonprofits with the government has made deep inroads into the upliftment of childcare and child welfare. We, at Smile Foundation, pledge to keep working tirelessly to create a more humane society for all keeping child education and healthcare central to all our projects and activities.

Categories
Health Nutrition

Blue Foods and The Food Systems in the World

Rural Mothers Building Healthier Homes
Rural Mothers Building Healthier Homes

Just as the name suggests, Blue foods (also known as aquatic foods) comprise fish, invertebrates, algae, and aquatic plants that are either captured or cultured in freshwater or marine ecosystems. Even though they have been consumed in the diets of many coastal communities for hundreds of years, it’s now become more important than ever to promote the consumption and production of blue foods to combat world crises such as food security, climate, and environmental degradation. 

Wondering why? Let’s look at some of their benefits and nutritional value. 

Being extremely diverse, blue foods consist of more than 2500 species of marine and freshwater animals and plants. They are supported by a wide range of ecosystems and harvesting practices. Examples include large-scale trawlers to small-scale fish ponds integrated into agricultural systems. Their diversity supports the many economic transitions that occur in fishing communities.

Blue Foods and Nutrition Parameters

Blue foods also offer good nutrition & health. They are rich in micronutrients that help fight maternal and infant mortality, stunting, and cognitive deficits. They are also considered to be a healthier animal source of protein as compared to terrestrial livestock. Their dishes contain nutrients that can help reduce obesity and non-communicable diseases. Most importantly, natural blue foods are more accessible and affordable than other animal-source foods. 

In fact, according to the study published in nature, these foods generate lower emissions as compared to terrestrial meats. Rich in nutrients and proteins, they are a great alternative to red meat. Moderate consumption of blue foods in every diet can help about 82 percent of the 22 countries that face risks from cardiovascular disease. Moreover, access to affordable sources of blue foods can fight micronutrient deficiencies in over 166 million people across the world. 

Besides nutrition, blue foods offer a source of livelihood for many belonging to vulnerable communities. Almost 800 million people start their day with healthy blue breakfast foods. A variety of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture farms offer a wide range of healthy blue foods that support diets during difficult times such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic and other market fluctuations. 

Blue foods also play a key role in cultural and socio-economic practices. People from the Arctic to the Amazon are known to have the highest per capita aquatic food consumption rates in the world. 

To capitalise maximum on the potential of such foods decision makers across the world need to make significant changes. 

How to Protect and Develop the Potential of Blue Foods

The demand for blue foods is going to grow exponentially by 2050 due to the increasing population and incomes. If produced responsibly, these foods can help end malnutrition and build healthy and resilient food systems. This can aid people who reside on lands that are marginal for agriculture such as forests, wetlands, and tiny islands. 

But to realise that potential, the governments/policymakers need to focus on three important imperatives: 

  1. Include Blue foods in decision-making for food systems 
  2. Protect and promote Blue foods in combating malnutrition 
  3. Support the key role of small-scale actors in fisheries & aquaculture 

The state should help fisheries and aquaculture manage as food systems to accomplish society’s goals to combat nutrition, health, and sustainability. Ensuring the availability of nutrient-rich aquatic foods to those for whom they are most important, both nutritionally and culturally, is of great significance. A food systems approach will let the decision-makers address the potential threats that blue foods face. This includes overfishing pollution, and distribution. 

A system needs to be built that ensures equitable participation in production, more access to consumption, and gives more room for broad representation in decision-making. A great way is to come up with ideas across the value chain to shift production and consumption to species and technologies that have fairly lighter footprints and to encourage diversity in production systems. 

Innovating The Foods System Landscape

Allocating funds to help in the development of innovations and investments in fisheries and aquaculture enterprises that could lower returns or greater short-term risk but promise long-term nutrition, livelihoods, and sustainability benefits is a strong step toward nutrition goals.

Awareness needs to be created about the importance of blue foods in fighting malnutrition. Encouraging sustainable fishing practices like catch limits to protect the marine population and promote long-term food security is the way forward.

Increasing access to such foods for communities through different programmes that provide subsidies for fishing equipment or establish markets for blue foods in areas where they are not currently available also helps the blue foods consumption cause.

Small-scale actors play a crucial role in fisheries and aquaculture. They usually use low-impact and sustainable fishing practices to help maintain healthy fish populations and ecosystems. Additionally, small-scale aquaculture operations can help provide valuable sources of protein for local communities and also support global security. It is important to support small-scale actors to promote sustainability, reduce poverty,

Ways to Support Small-scale Actors in Fisheries and Aquaculture

Small-scale actors often struggle to obtain monetary help for their businesses. The state and development agencies can provide loans and grants to help them start or expand their businesses.

Governments, NGOs, and other organisations can also provide training and technical assistance to help small-scale actors improve their fishing and aquaculture practices.

Small-scale actors often struggle to access markets for their products. The state and NGOs can provide support to help small-scale actors market their products effectively and connect with buyers.

However, while primary decision-makers and executive powers can help set objectives, programmes, regulations, and laws, government policies alone are not enough to drive this transformative change. Food system transformation will require a simultaneous and synergistic shift of government, market, and financial institutions to help adopt sustainable and nutritive practices.

Besides, citizens, civil society organisations, and academics play a crucial role in articulating values and goals. This can help outline possible futures for blue foods integration in everyday life. 

Smile Foundation and Healthy Families

Smile Foundation through its various campaigns Shiksha Na Ruke and Swabhiman tries to imbibe a culture of nutritious diets into the consumption habits of families, especially children from lower-income backgrounds. Any development and growth story is incomplete without the individual and their families consuming food that can ensure that they have healthy lives and we realise our role in the holistic growth process of every family without any privileges.

Categories
Livelihood

Social Class and Pay Gap: How Are They Related?

Social Class and Pay Gap: How Are They Related?
Social Class and Pay Gap: How Are They Related?

India is firmly on the growth path. It is among the few countries worldwide to resist recession and will be the fastest-growing economy in 2023, per the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates.

Collectively, the Indian economy can do no wrong, but financial problems exist individually. Most Indian households face inflation, low appraisals, and questionable asset performance. The Government of India (GOI) changed the tax rates to leave more money for lower-income groups. A big relief for many.

Marginalisation Problem in India

The social class system has been a long-standing issue in India. It originated centuries ago to organise society based on occupation and birth.

Untouchability was abolished by the Indian government a year after independence, but the problem somehow persists in society. Discrimination and oppression are still common in India and make it difficult for marginalised communities to access education, employment, and political representation.

The problem is ingrained in Indian culture, with discrimination against marginalised castes continuing in various facets of living, such as in the workplace, education, and politics. It results in less opportunity and access to resources for marginalised communities.

Unfortunately, social status and income are closely interlinked, with an individual’s class determining their progress in the professional world.

Social Status and Income in India

Social status is sadly a key determinant of working-class salary in India, with those from privileged social classes generally having better economic prospects. Several studies and surveys have looked into the link between social class and pay, with most drawing the same conclusion.

Such disparity in pay affects the confidence of individuals from marginalised sections, making them doubt their abilities. Additionally, it affects their household income as individuals in higher positions are paid higher than regular employees.

A similar 2019 report by the India Human Development Survey proves it, revealing that higher social class households earn thrice the average income of marginalised households. This class pay gap directly affects asset creation, with several studies proving that higher social classes hold most of India’s wealth.

Why does the Social Class Pay Gap exist in India?

The social class pay gap is the result of several factors, including social networks. Networks are extremely valuable as they open doors to opportunities.

Privileged individuals often have better access to job opportunities through their social networks. Due to their better economic conditions, they head to events and other gatherings and meet individuals from different industries. It gives them the conditions to build connections, which other marginalised groups lack.

Education is an equally vital factor affecting income and social status in India. Marginalised individuals are more likely to drop out of school due to discrimination and a lack of resources.

It limits their job prospects as education is the key to opening the first door to professional life. Limited job prospects lead to less earning potential, which affects asset creation.

India Wage Gap’s Impact on the Economy

The persistence of social inequality in India has significant implications for the country’s economic growth and development. A report recently found the top 1% in the country own more than 40.5% of total wealth in 2021.

The bottom 50% of the population (700 million) has around 3% of total wealth. This extreme concentration of wealth can lead to social unrest, political instability, and slower economic growth.

Furthermore, the exclusion of marginalised groups from the formal economy limits their purchasing power and can impede the growth of domestic markets. This, in turn, can limit job creation and economic growth overall. As a result, addressing social inequality and expanding opportunities for marginalised groups is critical for India’s long-term economic development.

Final Thoughts on Social Class Pay Gap

The social status continues to play a significant role in determining income and opportunities in India. Discrimination against marginalised groups persists, limiting their earning potential and preventing them from building wealth.

The social class pay gap also weighs indirectly on the economy as less pay to the marginalised groups reduces their purchasing power. Their contribution to the economy decreases, reducing the speed of the Indian economy.

Smile Foundation and Closing The Pay Gap

Smile Foundation believing in the concept of ‘learn to earn’, has a well-structured and dynamic livelihood programme, STeP (Smile Twin e-Learning Programme) that trains the Indian youth from marginalised backgrounds in the sectors of healthcare, core employability, retail management, digital marketing, BPO, and BFSI.

Thousands of the trained youth from this programme have been placed in global brands of high repute and social value.

0%