Every year on January 24, India observes National Girl Child Day in order to create awareness about the rights of the girl child, the importance of girl education, and the health of girl child. The initiative to celebrate the day was taken by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2008.
The day also aims to shed light on issues such as female infanticide, gender inequality, and physical abuse. The main objective of the day is to highlights problems faced by girls. National Girl Child Day aware girls about their rights, the importance of education, health, and nutrition.
In 2008, the Ministry of Women and Child Development initiated the National Girl Child Day. The main aim of the day is to spread awareness about the gender-based discrimination that girls face the society.
In order to improve the condition of girls, the Indian government has taken several steps over the years such as Save the Girl Child, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, free or subsidised education for the girl children, reservations for women in colleges and universities.
Directives for National Girl Child Day:
- Celebrate the birth of a girl child in the family and community.
- Take pride in daughters and oppose the mentality of ‘Bojh’ and ‘Paraya Dhan’.
- Find ways to promote equality between boys and girls.
- Secure admission to & retention of girl child in schools.
- Engage men and boys to challenge gender stereotypes and roles.
- Educate and sensitize our sons to respect women and girls as equal members of society.
- Report any incident of gender determination test
- Strive to make the neighborhood safe & violence-free for women & girls.
- Oppose dowry and child marriage within the family and community.
- Advocate simple weddings.
- Support women’s right to own and inherit property.
- Encourage women to go out, pursue higher studies, work, do business, access public spaces freely etc.
- Mind his language and be sensitive to women and girls.
(Source: Ministry of Women and Child Development, GOI)
