National Girl Child Day: Importance and significance of the day
National Girl Child Day in India is celebrated on 24th of January every year. National Girl Child Day aims towards promoting awareness about the rights of the girl child and to increase awareness on the importance of girl education, and their health and nutrition. The day was an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2008. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
A girl takes full care of her whole family, her work and has many responsibilities. She completes her family and is the caretaker. A girl child is a pillar of strength for her family and provides all kinds of support, moral, emotional or financial. All-enduring and selfless is her love. But still faces inequality.
Various events are organized all across the country to celebrate the day. To mark National Girl Child Day, the government organizes awareness campaigns under Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save the girl child, Educate the girl child) scheme. Much progress has been made in the last two decades to ensure every girl is able to grow and develop in good health, still, there is much to do.
Some of the problems that women face:
- Access to Education.
- Employment Opportunities.
- Reproductive Health & Rights.
- Maternal Health.
- Gender-based Violence.
- Child Marriage.
- Female Genital Mutilation.
- Water & Sanitation.
Patriarchal setup in our Indian society – Men dominate societal and family life in India, this has been the case in the past ages and still continues to be practiced in majority of the households. Though this mindset is changing with urbanization and education, still there is long way to go for a permanent change in the scenario.
