Room to Read

Gender inequality remains one of the most prevalent forms of discrimination, limiting the potential of half of the world’s population. Around the world, 129 million girls are out of school, facing multi-faceted barriers to education like poverty, child marriage and gender-based violence (UNICEF). And yet, we know that every year spent in school increases a girl’s future earnings. Studies have shown that women with primary education earn 14% to 19% more than women with no education at all, and those with secondary education earn almost twice as much (World Bank).

At the Swarovski Foundation, we take pride in supporting organisations like Room to Read that empower girls and women.

Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read is creating a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality through education. They are achieving this goal by helping children in historically low-income communities develop literacy skills and a habit of reading, and by supporting girls as they build life skills to succeed in school and negotiate key life decisions. They collaborate with governments and other partner organisations to deliver positive outcomes for children at scale.

Room to Read has benefited more than 39 million children and has worked in 24 countries and in more than 192,000 communities, providing additional support through remote solutions that facilitate learning beyond the classroom. Room to Read aims to benefit 40 million children by 2025.

Our Partnership

Since 2015, the Swarovski Foundation and Room to Read have worked together to best meet the needs of underserved youth. The Girls’ Education Programme supports girls to overcome social and economic barriers by equipping them with the life skills necessary to succeed in school and beyond. Over the years, our grants have supported more than 1,750 children and adolescents across Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, including 72 boys as part of a pilot programme in Cambodia designed to strengthen their awareness of harmful social norms.

The Room to Read Girls Education Programme include the following activities: life skills sessions to help girls develop competencies such as self-confidence, critical thinking or problem solving; individual and group mentoring sessions with educated, strong women who support girls emotionally and guide them through the programme; family and community engagement to create environments that support girls’ success, with workshops and meetings where communities can discuss the importance of sending their children to school; and material support to help participants with tuition fees, uniforms, transportation, school materials, and exam preparation services to ensure they can attend school.