Malaysia-based RYTHM Foundation has won a bronze award at the recent 10th CSR Times Awards event in New Delhi, India for a project empowering young rural women in Maharashtra, India.
RYTHM Foundation in a statement today said the award under the ‘Women Empowerment Within the Corporate Foundation Sector’ category recognised RYTHM’s collaboration with the Maharashtra-based Mann Deshi Foundation.
“Between 2019 and 2022, RYTHM’s financial support facilitated the creation of five ‘Mann Deshi Champions Youth Development’ centres across the region.
“The centres serve as holistic training facilities for individuals from marginalised backgrounds, focusing on achieving academic excellence, fostering physical fitness and enhancing personality development,” the statement said.
It said an integral part of this initiative is a sports intervention programme complemented by various educational offerings, including self-defence training, English proficiency, driving skills, and job interview preparation.
RYTHM Foundation said the collaboration brought about profound changes in the lives of over 800 women, creating significant pathways for their future.
“Remarkably, over 30 participants broke gender stereotypes by securing positions in the region’s male-dominated law enforcement sector. Many others have also found employment in various entry- and mid-level roles across the public and private sectors.
“Girls and young women in Maharashtra face numerous challenges marked by entrenched cycles of inequality, patriarchy and poverty, including early marriages. This practice prevents them from pursuing an education and limits their prospects for a better future,” it added.
Meanwhile, the head of RYTHM Foundation Santhi Periasamy was quoted in the statement as saying that the partnership with Mann Deshi was an audacious one as both worked with socially and economically marginalised communities in Maharashtra, where gender disparities intersect with restricted prospects.
“We set out to break down the obstacles rural girls face due to inadequate education and pressing social challenges such as teen marriages,” she said, adding that the project catalysed change, nurturing self-reliance and igniting a brighter future for the beneficiaries.
Held annually by the India-based CSR Times publication, the event honours the contributions of various local and international entities and individuals across 17 categories for their initiatives in India.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency