Representatives from over a dozen NGOs convened at the Brookings India Center to talk about the desperate need to educate girls and prevent them from dropping out of school before graduation.

The meeting was held in partnership with Girl Rising – a New York-based organization focused on empowerment of girls through storytelling and advocacy.

With the help of actresses Priyanka Chopra and Freida Pinto, Girl Rising is bringing its global campaign to India. This includes a documentary film featuring the two movie stars and seven other Bollywood actresses, to spread awareness about importance of girls’ education.

Among the many issues discussed at the Brookings India NGO gathering is how Girl Rising can contribute to the on-going discussion and work surrounding girls education in India. How research can play a role in the Girl Rising campaign and how to bring on board the various issues that confront girls education and rights in India.

Holly Gordon, the co-founder of Girl Rising said educating girls is essential for India’s prosperity and stability, and represents an unprecedented economic opportunity. She pointed out there are 270 million women and girls under age 25 in India. And by not educating girls equally, India misses out on 33 billion dollars-a-year of potential economic growth.