Nasscom to train girls to use technology to address gender equality issues and avail government services

Nasscom Logo.[/caption]The Indian IT industry apex body's Foundation said it has partnered with US-based financial services major American Express for the project."American Express will be donating Rs 1.32 crore for the project. As part of the Nasscom Foundation's 'Nasscom Social Innovation Forum', the project aims to provide free technology education to girls utilising the available free public library spaces as training centres," a statement from the Foundation said.The project will be run in four libraries in the National Capital Region of the country, catering to a minimum of 200 girls each year, per library.Girls aged between 12 and 22 would be trained to use tools like mobile phones, computers and tablets.They will be taught how to use social media, e-commerce websites, how to avail government services by registering for ration cards and Aadhaar cards, the statement said."The project enables them to use innovative technology-based solutions to resolve key gender equality issues like violence, health and economic and political empowerment," it said.The project will be run by the Indian Public Library Movement, a Nasscom Foundation's initiative in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to turn public libraries into knowledge spaces."Of the total grant amount, Rs 1 crore will be utilised towards providing grants and mentorships to social innovators in the area of financial inclusion, healthcare, sanitation and environment," the statement said.The remainder Rs 32 lakh would be utilised for training girls in their technology skills, it said."We believe that if you train a girl, you train a generation giving them the power to become agents of change for the society," said Chief Executive Officer of Nasscom Foundation Shrikant Sinha in the statement.