By Dr AK Srivastava
“It is said that girls with dreams become women with vision. May we empower each other to carry out such vision!” – Meghan Markle
“God has given us daughters so that we can preserve the human species on earth.” – Amit Abraham
The Ministry of Women and Child Development declared 24 January as National Girl Child Day in order to save, protect and educate girls. India is the country where we worship girls and women as goddesses. It is said that where women are honoured, Gods also live there. But it is also a strange contradiction that the birth of a girl child is not an occasion to celebrate in many Indian families. The parents consider it a big burden on them to educate and marry them. The girls face many issues in their lives right from the beginning, like malnutrition, health problems, medical care, legal rights, freedom of choosing a career and several social problems.
During the Vedic period, women were respected and they contributed in social, religious and political activities of the country. Ghosha, Lopamudra, Sulabha Maitreyi and Gargi are some of the prominent names who find reference in books. Then, in the medieval period, the social condition of women was not very encouraging. In the Mughal period, the Sati and Purdah systems were humiliating for both Hindu and Muslim women. During the British period, several ladies fought against British rule and helped the freedom fighters. In 1829, Sati was abolished, and in 1856 the Widow Remarriage Act was passed. After Independence, the government is constantly working to empower women and provide them equal status to their male counterparts in the workplace. Recently, the government has passed a bill that reserves thirty-three percent seats for women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies with effect from 2029. In the post-Independence, period women have contributed to all possible fields right from politics to space research. They have occupied the most prestigious positions like President, Prime Minister and Chief Justice of India. They have also been Chief Ministers, Governors and high-profile diplomats.
Women or girls are fifty percent of humanity. They are the mother, sister, wife and daughter of a man who dominates their lives right through their lives. The existence of humanity is unimaginable without girls. Right from the inception of civilisation they have been playing very significant and crucial roles in diverse sections of society. God has gifted women with many qualities which make them do several jobs better than their male partners. They have good patience, tenderness, a caring attitude and motherly love. These qualities help them to excel in the health sector and child rearing. Now the government of India feels that it is high time to value the role of women and remove all inequalities and restrictions from their lives.
The government has introduced some very important rules to protect and save girls. First of all, the determination of sex in clinics during pregnancy has been banned in order to stop the premature termination of pregnancies. “Save the Girl Child” is a prominent slogan in modern times. In order to educate and make the girl child independent, the government provides free and compulsory education for girls up to fourteen years. Parents are encouraged to provide the best education to girls so that they can excel in different fields of employment and become instrumental in the progress of the nation and humanity. “Beti Bacho and Beti Parhao” is another prominent slogan of the Ministry of Women’s Welfare with the intention to spread education for girls in every nook and corner of the nation. Education enables an individual to be confident, self-reliant and capable of taking the right decision.
The Central and State governments organise various activities on National Girl Child Day to promote consciousness regarding the need to uplift the status and respect of girls in society. Advertisements are placed in newspapers, debates and quiz competitions are organised in schools and colleges around the country. Similarly, Radio and TV Channels conduct talks and discussions for this noble cause.
The Ministry of Women’s and Child Welfare declares a theme every year on National Girl Child Day. Last year the theme was “Digital Generation, Our Generation, Our Time is Now—Our Rights, Our Future”. Along with a theme, some slogans are also framed by the ministry to create more awareness on the issue. Some of the slogans of the previous years were:
- A) Educate a girl and you will light up a whole generation.
- B) When you empower a girl, you empower an entire community.
- C) Celebrate her, educate her, and watch her change the world.
- D) A girl’s strength is the foundation of a brighter tomorrow—let’s support her every step.
This year the government has declared “Elevating Girls’ Voices for Sustainable Development” as the theme for National Girl Child Day. A few slogans have been framed to promote the concept of this year.
- A) “Girl Power! She can change the world, one dream at a time.”
- B) “Educate a girl, build a nation”.
- C) “Girl means Gift in Real Life”.
- D) “She dreams big, let her fly high”.
The United Nations Organisation also declared International Girl Child Day to be celebrated on 11 October every year. The resolution was passed at the UNO General Assembly in 2011. The aim is to remove global disparities and discrimination against women. In the last 14 years, the movement has spread all over the world and all efforts are being made to educate and empower women as they are indispensable and precious for the existence of humanity on this planet. The UNO declares a theme for International Girl Child Day every year. Last five years’ themes are mentioned below:
2020 – My voice, our equal future
2021 – Digital generation. Our generation
2022 – Our time is now — Our rights, Our future
2023 Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being
2024 – Girls’ vision for the future
In conclusion, we can express happiness and a deep sense of satisfaction that such an important issue is being taken up with enthusiasm and commitment both at National and International Levels. We can hope that such an initiative will bring a drastic change in the standard of living for women across the globe. Girls will control their lives and jobs without any fear or hindrance. “Every girl deserves a world where her dreams are bigger than the challenges she faces.” – Anonymous
(Dr AK Srivastava is Principal, DAV Inter College, Dehradun.)
