Westpac launches study grants for girls

TO celebrate International Women’s Day, Westpac last week launched round two of the Westpac Women’s education grants programme, offering financial aid to girls to help them with the cost of their education.
“We had a great response to the first round of the grant programme which showed there was a genuine need to help girls with the cost of their education,” bank managing director Ashleigh Matheson said.
 “So this year, we’re offering two grants each worth K9,000.
“Our involvement with International Women’s Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.
 “But we know we have some way to go to create gender equality in the Pacific.
“According to AusAID, women and girls make up two-thirds of the one billion people in the world who lack basic literacy skills.
“Almost 35 million girls don’t receive basic primary school education.
“Continuing education is one way we think we can make a better future for our communities and help lift families out of poverty.
“So we’re continuing our grants programme as a way to address this.”
To apply, applicants simply have say which girl or woman, past or present, inspires them and why.
There are word limits according to the grant category.
Grant application forms and criteria information is available from Westpac’s website www.westpac.com.au/pacific and from all Westpac branches. 
Applications close on Feb 17 and winners will be announced on International Women’s Day, on March 8.
Westpac’s Pacific operations cover the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.
There are more than 50 Westpac branches and agencies and 82 ATMs throughout the Pacific.