Google is continuing its ongoing commitment to minority groups with its latest announcement of grant-based programs — worth upwards of $25 million — to financially-back works of nonprofits and social enterprises dedicated to empowering women.

According to an announcement, Google has unveiled its 2021 Impact Challenge for Women and Girls on International Women’s Day, an initiative that is working to create economic prosperity for women and girls through charitable initiatives and mentorship opportunities.

Being that gender inequity has become one of the most pressing matters in our society today, Google wants this collective force of grant programs to help address systemic barriers that pose a threat to women pursuing entrepreneurial ventures and financial independence.

“When women and girls have the resources and opportunities to turn their potential into power, it changes the trajectory of their lives and strengthens entire communities,” Jacquelline Fuller — President of Google.org — shared in a blog post. “This is why I was excited to join our CEO Sundar Pichai to launch our global Google.org Impact Challenge for Women and Girls at a Google for India Women Will event earlier this morning. We’re calling on ideas from nonprofits and social organizations around the world that are working to advance the economic empowerment of women and girls and create pathways to prosperity.”

According to Fuller’s post, Google has given more than $55 million to nonprofit organizations over the last five years that have supported gender equity and access to opportunity for women and girls worldwide.

Working alongside nonprofits and social organizations, the new Impact Challenge will now build upon their work to uplift the cause and provide women and girls with the support they need to succeed.

“Whatever these teams need, we are going to be alongside them and help carry out their vision,” Fuller said at a virtual event, TechCrunch reports.

Fuller also shared Google’s plans to invest an additional $1 million to support women from underserved communities in India.

Since Google first launched its Internet Saathi program five years ago — which brought internet literacy to women in rural parts of India — the company reports that women’s participation on Indian internet has improved greatly, TechCrunch shares.

According to Sanjay Gupta — the head of Google India — “this program created a cascading effect” where Google reports that today four of 10 internet users in rural India are now women, a step up from one in 10 in 2015.

Google is now focused on continuing this kind of work through other initiatives committed to helping other women.

TechCrunch reports that the company is also working on rolling out a new feature via its Google Pay app, which will allow entrepreneurs to showcase their business pages in the payments app free of charge.

Through this slate of powerful initiatives, women and girls around the world will receive the resources they need in order to become flourishing business leaders and independent entrepreneurs.

Applicants can apply for the Impact Challenge for Women and Girls until April 9.

For more information about the challenge, click here.

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