Importance
World International Day of Girls is celebrated on October 11 every year to spread awareness supporting more opportunity for girls and curbing gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender. This inequality includes areas such as access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and protection from discrimination, violence against women and forced child marriage.
The celebration of the day also reflects, “The successful emergence of girls and young women in their respective fields.” The International Day of the Girl Child gives people the opportunity to raise public awareness of the different types of atrocities that many girls around the world suffer from. On this day, many communities talk about the importance of girls’ and right to equal education and their fundamental freedoms. Various events are held to showcase the work that people are doing to empower girls.
History
The International Day of Girl was first celebrated in 2012, at the initiative of the Plan International, a non-governmental organization that operates worldwide. This initiative grew into because “I Am a Girl” campaign, which raises awareness of the importance of nurturing girls globally and in developing countries in particular.
Discrimination and violence against girls and violations of their human rights still happen. The UN felt a need to raise awareness of the challenges that millions of girls face every day. In December 2011, the UN declared that it would annually observe the International Day of the Girl Child, starting from October 11, 2012.
Efforts taken by Indian Government to promote Girl child
“Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao”
It was launched in Jan 2015, fulfilling one of the election promises by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is one of the most spectacular initiatives by the Government of India. This incentive is pushing boundaries in the field of upliftment of women and survival of the girl child in light of the declining Child Sex Ratio by ensuring protection.
Maternity Benefit Program
This scheme is for the benefit of pregnant women in India and desires to provide proper care, practice and efficient utilization of government sponsored facilities. Previously known as Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana, it was renamed as Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana in 2017 to combat the increasing maternal mortality rate.
Conclusion:
Even today Women are denied a lot of opportunities and they miss out on a lot of things that can have change their lives. However, Women deserve equal opportunities for education, in their careers, in the society, and so much more.
The empowerment of women is a very important task that every one of us should undertake because empowering women is equal to empowering the whole community and generations to come. There are many ways in which we can empower girls and women and the task does not solely lay with the government but with everyone in the society.
