National girl child day is observed every year on 24th of January as a national observance day for the girl child. This celebration was started to offer more supports and new opportunities to the girls in the country. It is celebrated to increase the awareness among people about all the inequalities faced by the girl child in the society. Inequality about girl child is a vast problem which includes many areas like inequality in education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection, honour, child marriage and so many.
There have been many cases in India, from daughters being killed and aborted to sexual abuse and gender inequality, women have suffered a lot, and to remove these inequalities, the National Girl Child Day is observed to make people more aware about the major problems.
When was the day started?
National Girl Child day was started in 2008 by The Ministry of Women and Child to bring public attention on issues like lack of proper education among the girl child, lack of nutrition, medical care and numerous such factors.
Female feoticide still remains a major problem in India. Although, new policies since the last Census and better awareness has contributed to a little improvement. Child marriage is another problem which needs to be resolved. Moreover, the increase in number of crimes against the girl child in the recent times has presented another enormous evil which needs to be annihilated as soon as possible.
In order to deal with all these major issues, the Government of India came up with Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme. Government issues simple directives which we all must follow to ensure a healthier environment and a better way of life for the girl child.
Significance
Due to the growing female foeticide and infanticide in Indian society, the National Girl Child Day initiative was launched. Ban on sex determination of foetus was also imposed to control the female foeticide.
The government started to give financial aid to couples who were blessed with a baby girl and also provided free primary education to the girls. One of the major aims of observing this day is to raise awareness about the rights of girl children and their education. The day aims to highlight the injustice against the girl child in Indian society and to promote their health and education.
As a result of this, girls are offered scholarships for their outstanding performance during their school and college life. Universities and colleges now hold reservations for women to bridge the gender gap and eradicate the lack of quality education among girls and women across the country. Since the girl children often go through a dearth of exploitation such as foeticide, infanticide or sexual abuse, the day focuses on protecting girl children and improving their condition. Due to the several initiatives in favour of the girl child, the country has seen a good increment in the female education and health condition.
HOW NATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY IS CELEBRATED
Varieties of events are organized all across the country to celebrate the girl child day to promote girls position in the society. Government of India organizes a big campaign to increase people consciousness towards the girl children in the Indian society.
At this day, various advertisements are run by the government on the TV channels, local newspapers and radio stations and through the message of “Save the Girl Child”. NGO organizations and non government organizations also come together and take part in the celebration to fight against the social stigma about girl child.
GIRL CHILD RIGHTS IN INDIA
Government of India has taken various steps by declaring variety of schemes to make the girl child status better. Some of are:
- Sex determination during pregnancy through the clinics has been blocked by the government.
- Child marriages of the girls have been restricted.
- Antenatal care has been made necessary for all the pregnant women to fight with the malnutrition, high illiteracy, poverty and infant mortality in the society.
- “Save the Girl Child” scheme has been introduced by the government to save the girl child.
- Girl child education status in India has been improved through the free and compulsory primary school education for both boys and girls till 14 years of age.
- To improve the status of the girl child in India, the government of India has reserved 1/3 seats in the local government for women.
- Anti-MTP, anti-sati laws, anti-dowry Act has also been introduced by the legislature to enhance the women status and employment opportunities.
- Five Year Plan has been implemented to pay attention towards the education status in the backward states of the country.
- School children are well availed with the uniforms, noon meal and educational materials and repayments to the SC and ST caste girl’s families.
- Balwadi-cum-creeches have been implemented for caring the girl babies and attend the primary school.
- “Operation Blackboard” including other programmes has been organized for the teacher’s education to make the school services advance.
- The Open Learning System has been established for easiness to the girls of backward areas.
- It has been declared for the girl child that “girls must be given equal treatments and opportunities from the very beginning” to expand the opportunities for them.
- The SHG means Self-Help Groups has been introduced by the government as the main policy in order to make better the livelihood of rural areas girls.
