Mumbai: On this International Women’s Day, when the world comes together to celebrate women and their success, the Salaam Bombay Foundation reiterates its pledge to empower young adolescent girls with the right education and opportunities to create a better future.
Over the past twenty-two years, the Foundation has been helping underprivileged youth by providing them with life-skills and vocational training so that they can find a new meaning of life. Around fifty percent of the beneficiaries are adolescent girls.
With the tools and training received from the Foundation, several women from underprivileged communities have turned out to be confident entrepreneurs. Apart from running profitable businesses, these women have become good leaders, capable of managing money both on personal and professional front.
Through classes on hospitality, visual arts, wellness, business, career education, and business initiation, the Foundation prepares the youth for a better life, capable of bringing about positive changes in the society. Such confident youth not only challenge the conventional societal norms but also assert themselves when they are expected to play a submissive role.
‘’On the occasion, Gautami Kharat, Sr. Manager, Salaam Bombay Foundation, said, “At Salaam Bombay Foundation, while we believe in creating equal opportunities for all, we also recognise the unique challenges faced by young adolescent girls in stepping into entrepreneurship. Our programmes are specifically intended to give youth the skills, confidence and mindset to be entrepreneurs, and we have had an incredible response from young women. For example, our Entrepreneurship Incubator Programme has benefited over 550 youth, and nearly 70 percent of these are young women. We deliberately encourage young girls to become part of the entrepreneurship world, equipping them with the right skills and confidence to succeed. It is encouraging to see them grab these opportunities, breaking barriers and paving the way for a more inclusive future. They are not only building successful businesses but also using their profits to fund their education and ensure their futures. By empowering adolescent girls to hold their own ambitions, we are also producing a next generation of ambitious, independent women who aren’t just earning the bread but also redefining the traditional expectations. This is how we are actually living up to empowering adolescent girls through enterprise..”
On this International Women’s Day, the Salaam Bombay Foundation celebrates the success stories of thousands of young women who have confronted adversity to create their own destiny. The Foundation’s interventions have helped many access higher education, find stable jobs, and even become entrepreneurs—testifying to the real impact of investing in young women’s empowerment.
The Foundation invites people, corporations, and policy-makers to unite and build an inclusive society where every woman has the resources to aspire high and fulfill. Together, the Salaam Bombay Foundation believes in building a world where gender parity is not a dream but a reality.
