Google Commits $25 Million to Empower Women and Girls Globally

On Monday, Google declared a series of initiatives and grants totaling $25 million. These funds are designated to support the endeavors of nonprofit organizations and social enterprises dedicated to the advancement of women and girls.

Unveiled on International Women’s Day, Google.org’s new Impact Challenge is designed to tackle systemic obstacles and inequalities. The aim is to ensure women have equitable access to economic opportunities, the ability to achieve financial independence, and the chance to pursue entrepreneurial ventures, as stated by Google CEO Sundar Pichai during a virtual presentation.

Supporting Vision and Expanding Reach

Jacquelline Fuller, President of Google.org, affirmed the company’s commitment to providing comprehensive support. “We will stand alongside these teams and assist in realizing their visions,” she explained at the event. Applications from organizations worldwide will be accepted until April 9th.

Furthermore, Google.org will allocate an additional $1 million to assist underserved women specifically within India. Despite being the world’s second-largest internet market, female representation among online users in India remains comparatively low.

Internet Saathi and Digital Literacy in India

Five years prior, Google initiated the Internet Saathi program. This program focused on enhancing internet literacy among women in rural Indian communities. The company reports that this initiative, developed in collaboration with the Indian conglomerate Tata, significantly increased women’s engagement with the internet in India.

Currently, four out of every ten internet users in rural India are women, a substantial increase from the one in ten recorded in 2015. According to Google’s internal research, the Internet Saathi program has positively impacted over 30 million women across India. The program is now concluding to allow focus on further initiatives.

Beyond Access: Economic Empowerment

Sanjay Gupta, head of Google India, highlighted the cascading benefits of the Internet Saathi program during the event. However, Sapna Chadha, Senior Marketing Director for Google in India and Southeast Asia, emphasized that simply gaining online access is insufficient. “Women in India have historically faced barriers to full economic participation.”

To address this, Google is partnering with the Nasscom Foundation, the social initiative of a prominent Indian trade organization, to deliver digital and financial literacy training to 100,000 women farmers in India. Additionally, a new program called “Women Will” is being launched to empower and support one million women entrepreneurs.

Resources and Tools for Women Entrepreneurs

As part of the “Women Will” program, Chadha introduced a dedicated website. This resource will provide tutorials, business concepts, and other opportunities in both English and Hindi.

Google is also developing a new feature for the Google Pay app. This feature will enable entrepreneurs to showcase their business pages within the payment application without incurring any costs. Moreover, women entrepreneurs can now indicate that their businesses are women-led on Google Search and Google Maps listings, as announced by Chadha.

Government Support and a Call to Action

Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development for the Government of India, delivered a powerful message at the event. “I urge all of you to collaborate in building a future we can collectively be proud of—a future where no daughter is constrained by the limitations imposed by her gender,” she stated.

Early Stage: A Premier Event for Startups

Early Stage is recognized as the leading “how-to” event for both startup entrepreneurs and investors. Attendees gain direct insights from successful founders and venture capitalists regarding business development, fundraising, and portfolio management.

The event encompasses all facets of company building, including fundraising strategies, talent acquisition, sales techniques, achieving product-market fit, public relations, marketing, and brand development.

Interactive Sessions and Audience Engagement

Each session is structured to encourage active participation from the audience. Ample time is allocated for questions and open discussion, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Key topics covered include:

• Fundraising
• Recruiting
• Sales
• Product-market fit
• PR
• Marketing
• Brand building