तानिया शर्मा
In India, the National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is observed annually on January 24. The day aims to focus on the inequalities faced by girls, to promote the education, health & nutrition of the girl child, and to spread awareness about the rights of a girl child.
It also focuses on increasing awareness on the importance of girls’ education, and their health and nutrition and also to promote the girls’ position in the society to make their living better among the society.
Objectives of National Girl Child Day
The objective of National Girl Child Day is to create awareness about the rights a girl owns and to give them the opportunities like everyone else. The Day also aims at removing gender-based biases. Another objective of celebrating this day is to promote awareness about the inequalities that a girl child faces and educate people about girls’ education. It also focuses on changing society’s attitude towards girls, decreasing female feticide and creating awareness about the decreasing sex ratio.
Steps taken by the Government to improve conditions of girls
The Government of India has taken various steps over the years to improve the conditions of girls. It has started several campaigns and programmes including the Save the Girl Child, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana CBSE Udaan Scheme, Free or subsidized education for girl child, Reservation for women in colleges and universities and National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education.
Today, Union 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.
