Rising Above: Cummins’ Role in Advancing Girls' Rights and Opportunities in India

In the progressive landscape of 2023, there is a palpable air of optimism that surrounds gender equality and equity. India has witnessed a remarkable journey over the past decades, with relentless efforts being channeled toward the empowerment of girls. Today, the narrative isn't solely about the challenges faced, but also about the indomitable spirit of our girls who are rewriting their stories despite their adverse circumstances.

While there are statistics indicating disparities, it's crucial to note that these figures are catalysts propelling nationwide movements and initiatives to foster change. The evolving societal frameworks are proof that we're steadily, but surely, challenging deep-rooted patriarchal views, norms, and structures.

Girls, today, aren't defined solely by their gender but by a multitude of facets encompassing their identity, such as social standing, economic status, age, and caste. Recognizing this intersectionality is imperative, as it allows for the creation of tailored solutions, ushering in a brighter era. With multifaceted approaches, we are driving forward, ensuring that every girl is empowered to seize the plethora of opportunities that await her.

Caring, a core value at Cummins, has continued to guide us in our goal of powering more prosperous communities. Here, we believe that we are only as strong as our communities; so, success goes beyond the bottom line. Girls form a critical stakeholder group for whom we strive to design empowering and lasting solutions. When women and girls receive equal opportunities in education, skill development, compensation, childcare, and healthcare, it's not just they who thrive, but families and economies flourish as well.

International Day of the Girl Child is a global observance event that addresses the unique challenges that girls face and aims to promote and empower them. This day gives us an opportunity to look back on the journey we traversed and a reminder that investing in the education, empowerment, and protection of girls is not only a moral imperative but also essential for the social and economic development of nations.

The latest research in gender equality points to five drivers to its realization: education, legal rights, economic empowerment, personal safety, and health. These drivers underpin our efforts to enable opportunities for girls in our programs.?

Cummins College of Engineering for Women (CCEW)

Founded in 1991 in Pune, Maharashtra, CCEW was born at a time when higher technical education was predominantly pursued by boys. Being India’s first all-women engineering college instituted by Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha (MKSSS), CCEW had a mission to provide quality technical education to women at reasonable fees so that girls from across various economic strata could pursue a degree in engineering. Since then, a second campus opened in Nagpur, Maharashtra, and, till date, more than 10,000 students have passed out from both campuses. CCEW is recognized as one of the preferred colleges in Pune and among the top 100 engineering colleges in India.

Nurturing Brilliance

In 2006, Cummins initiated Nurturing Brilliance, a Cummins Scholarship Program, for meritorious students from socially and economically disadvantaged communities to pursue professional degrees and diploma courses near Cummins locations. In addition to their college tuition fee, Cummins provides scholarship recipients with laptops and entrusts them with senior employees who serve as mentors to provide guidance to students. The program also entails a soft skill module to develop students’ interpersonal, communication, and networking skills.?

Since its inception, Cummins has supported 1,939 students with scholarships, of which 1,242 are girls.?

This powerful initiative has empowered individuals to secure good education and jobs, enabling them to improve the economic well-being of their families.

Hygiene, Health, and Digital Transition in Model Villages

One of the biggest reasons for girls in villages dropping out of school has historically been the lack of safe and hygienic toilets – especially after attaining the age of menstruation.

As part of holistic village development, it has been a constant endeavor to improve the environment in local schools and make it safe and comfortable for girls to continue their education across 47 villages which are part of our Model Village initiative, impacting more than 6,500 girl students.

Additionally, the focus has been directed toward menstrual health and hygiene – covering education, access to menstrual products and their hygienic disposal. COVID not only reinforced our commitment to WASH in schools but also helped us pivot to digital education at a much faster pace which has been another impetus for students to stay steadfast on their educational journey.

Water – A Girl’s Imperative

There is a strong connection between access to water, sanitation facilities, personal safety, and education. Access to water is intricately tied to school attendance and dropout rates. Fetching water is commonly a gendered responsibility, with girls typically assigned this task in families that prioritize a boy's education over theirs. In many cases, the lack of toilet facilities at home meant girls needed to relieve themselves in the open where it was very unsafe.?

With our partner, www.water.org, till date in India, we have reached over six lakh lives through the power of water credit. Today, girls, supported by this initiative, can turn on a tap or safely use a toilet because small, affordable loans empowered their families to get access to safe water and sanitation at home.

Advancing legal rights with Cummins Powers Women

The Cummins Powers Women program is a landmark community initiative to accelerate the advancement of women and girls around the world. In India, Cummins has partnered with a global non-profit, Rise Up, to invest in visionary leaders, local organizations, and innovative solutions to achieve large-scale change through leadership development, advocacy, funding, and storytelling. Chosen for their strong leadership and potential to advance social justice on a large scale, Rise Up enables these visionary leaders to further strengthen their leadership and launch strategies that increase girls’ and women’s access to education and opportunity.

Since 2019, three leadership and advocacy accelerators have been successfully launched in India and over 60 grassroots leaders have been enabled to create large-scale changes in their communities for girls and women. Till date, over 3.3 million girls and women have been served in India through the initiative.

We treasure and find inspiration in these stories of empowerment. Alongside our partners, we remain committed to addressing the distinct challenges faced by girls in India. Together, we envision a future where every girl can flourish, realize her potential, and play a part in crafting a more inclusive world.

This article is written by Soujanya Veguru , Senior General Manager - Corporate Responsibility, Cummins India. She has been instrumental in leading energy, environment, and strategic initiatives like Cummins Powers Women and Monsoon Resilient Maharashtra for the organization. In her tenure of over 16 years at Cummins India, she transitioned from operations to her current role in 2015. Soujanya, an Executive MBA graduate from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, is also pursuing a postgraduate program in development management from S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai.