Surya-Chandra Foundation is a Los Angeles-based not-for-profit corporation (EIN#: 45-4708552) under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.
We are dedicated to driving meaningful change by focusing on two key U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Our efforts include:
Surya-Chandra Foundation started by helping six deserving young girl students go after college education in Chennai, India.
We have partnered with ANEW (Association for Non-traditional Employment for Women) and Sarva Vidya — both organizations helping young women — to educate and empower girls from very low income families and distraught segments of society.
Since inception, we have supported the education and empowerment of thousands of girls and women. In 2024, we continued our support for 50 ANEW women for vocational training in Basic IT and Tally Courses. We added a new Web Design Course at ANEW for 20 Computer Science Majors to enhance employment potential. We supported 28 Sarva Vidya Nursing Assistants, and provided scholarships for 56 Sarva Vidya School girls. We continued the education support for 50 women and children at PCVC (https://pcvconline.org/).
We have the opportunity to expand vocational training for young women, and STEM education beyond middle school for thousands of deserving girls in 2025 and beyond.
Women make up 70% of the world’s working hours and earn only 10% of the world’s income and half of what men earn. Women’s rights are the biggest unfinished agenda of 21st century…this is a core imperative for every human being in society, in every country.
Gender equality implies a society in which women and men enjoy the same opportunities, outcomes, rights and obligations in all spheres of life. Equality between men and women exists when both sexes are able to share equally in the distribution of power and influence; have equal opportunities for financial independence through work or through setting up businesses; enjoy equal access to education and the opportunity to develop personal ambitions. A critical aspect of promoting gender equality is the empowerment of women, with a focus on identifying and redressing power imbalances and giving women more autonomy to manage their own lives. Women’s empowerment is vital to sustainable development and the realization of human rights for all. The roles that men and women play in society are not biologically determined–they are socially determined, changing and changeable. Although they may be justified as being required by culture or religion, these roles vary widely by locality and change over time. Applying culturally sensitive approaches for any given community can be key to advancing women’s rights while respecting different forms of social organization.
In many developing countries, women are still much more likely than men to be poor and illiterate. They usually have less access than men to medical care, property ownership,education, employment and credit. They are far less likely than men to be politically active and far more likely to be victims of domestic violence. Where women’s status is low, family size tends to be large, which makes it more difficult for families to thrive. We need to address the educational opportunities, status and empowerment of women. When women are empowered, whole families benefit, and these benefits often have ripple effects to future generations.
Achieving inclusive and quality education for all reaffirms the belief that education is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development. This goal ensures that all girls and boys complete free primary and secondary schooling by 2030. IT also aims to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, to eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to higher education.