Highlights
- National Girl Child Day is celebrated on January 24
- It was started by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2008
- Various events are organised all across the country to celebrate the day
New Delhi: From female infanticide and gender inequality and discrimination to sexual abuse and violence, there are numerous issues that girls continue to face. With the objective of highlighting the inequalities faced by girls and promoting awareness about the rights of a girl child and the importance of their education, health, and nutrition, National Girl Child Day is celebrated in India every year on January 24. This is an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) which conducts various events on the day across the country along with other ministries like Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Skill Development. The purpose of the day is also to change the attitude of society towards girls and uplift the girl child, says MWCD.
Educate, Encourage, Empower!
Today is the day to renew our commitment twd providing equal opportunities to our girls. On National Girl Child Day, as we celebrate accomplishments of our daughters, we pledge to bridge the gender divide to build an inclusive & equal society. pic.twitter.com/qpglx0fS9y
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) January 24, 2022
Also Read: Important To Be Vocal About The Rights Of Girls: Miss World Manushi Chhillar
National Girl Child Day: History
National Girl Child Day was first initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The purpose of this day is to spread awareness about the gender-based discrimination that girls face in our society and to bring change in the attitude towards girls.
The government has taken several steps over the years to change this and improve the conditions of girls. Several campaigns and programs such as Save the Girl Child, free or subsidised education for the girl children, reservations for women in colleges and universities have been initiated to reduce this discrimination. The celebrations will also mark the anniversary of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP), a flagship scheme of the Government of India which was launched in 2015 and aims to generate awareness and improve the efficiency of welfare services intended for girls in India.
Theme Of The National Girl Child Day 2022
According to MWCD, National Girl Child Day 2022 is being celebrated across the country. This year the government has not announced any theme for the celebration. Last year, the objective of the day was to raise awareness on the issue of the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR). In 2020, the theme for National Girl Child Day was ‘My Voice: Our Equal Future’.
Selfie With Daughter And Other Activities
To celebrate National Girl Child Day, MWCD and other ministries of the government organize several campaigns and activities urging the people to participate in large numbers. A social media campaign ‘selfie with daughter’ is also being organised to encourage parents to showcase their love and the feeling of pride towards daughters. Today, MWCD Minister Smriti Zubin Irani will also interact with children from a few marginalised identities from across the country in an online event ‘Kanya Mahotsav’. National Commission of Women is also organizing a virtual discussion through which their speakers will contribute to raise awareness about the rights of girls and the importance of girls education.
Also Read: Actor Ayushmann Khurrana Calls To Curb Discrimination, Violence Against Girls
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, that is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
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