Representative image of a girl child. Wikimedia Commons
National Girl Child Day is being celebrated in India every year on 24 January since 2008. The day is marked with an aim to provide the best possible assistance and facilities to the country’s women in all aspects. It spreads awareness to promote the education, rights, health, and nutrition of a girl child. The day was founded by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to provide opportunities for girls in India. The main focus of the day is to bring a change in society’s attitude towards girls, reducing female foeticide and creating awareness about the declining sex ratio.
History:
The Ministry of Women and Child Development celebrated National Girl Child Day for the first time on 24 January 2008. The main aim of this day was to spread awareness and deal with the issues of inequalities that girls face in our country and enlighten people about the rights of a girl child. The government has established multiple schemes for the development of the girl child like Save the Girl Child, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and many more.
Why is the day significant?
Gender inequality has been a persistent problem in our society and culture for centuries. Gender-based discrimination is prevalent to such an extent that girls have been killed either as foetus or as an infant. Even after years of economic advancement, education and globalisation, girls continue to encounter prejudices in several domains such as school and employment. Observing this day is an attempt to address these issues and support the progress of girls.
Below are some of the initiatives launched for the girl child by the government:
Save the Girl Child
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
CBSE Udaan Scheme
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