Celebrated on the 24th of January each year, National Girl Child Day is an impactful occasion in India. Originally initiated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2008, the day’s primary focus is on shifting societal perceptions of girls, reducing female feticide, and bringing into light the concerning decrease in the sex ratio.
Events in Commemoration
Alongside National Girl Child Day, certain noteworthy events took place to amplify the message of this significant day. A ‘Save The Girl Child’ Webinar was organized by the National Commission for Women (NCW), aiming to promote the rights of the girl child and bolster awareness on various crucial issues pertaining to girls, from their education and health to nutrition. Furthermore, the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar-2022 was awarded to twenty-nine children with exceptional achievements across a variety of fields, such as innovation, social science, education, sports, arts, and culture, and those who demonstrated bravery.
Challenges Faced by Girl Children in India
Despite the positive efforts, several daunting challenges persist for girl children in India. These include female infanticide and foeticide, child marriage, disparities in education, and health and mortality rates. Each of these issues has its roots and reasons, ranging from strong son preference and the practice of dowry to patrilineal necessity of heir and conventional gender norms pushing girls towards household work over education. As a result, under-five mortality for girls remains higher, and millions of girls end up as child brides or out of school due to early marriages.
Government Initiatives for Empowerment of Girl Children
To address these issues, the Indian government has implemented several commendable initiatives over the years. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, launched in 2015, aims to challenge sex-selective abortion and the decreasing child sex ratio. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, established in the same year, promotes the welfare of the girl child by encouraging parents to invest in their daughters’ future studies and marriage expenses. Other schemes like CBSE Udaan Scheme and National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE) are actively working towards bridging the educational gap and promoting enrollment of girl children in secondary education.
Suggested Steps to Improve the Status of Girl Children
The ultimate solution to these concerning issues lies in granting access to education, imparting skill-building and business training, incorporating sex education in schools, and organizing awareness campaigns on a massive scale about the significance of increasing the age of marriage. A comprehensive understanding and acceptance of the new legislation, the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, is crucial as it would be more effective than coercive measures.
Additionally, there needs to be an immediate intervention to address the alarming nutritional status of women and children and to close gaps in girls’ education. Through collective efforts, can we ensure a safer, brighter, and more equal world for our girl children.