Since independence the country has been on the mission to alleviate the sufferings of females through allocation of funds, plans, social welfare schemes, and flagship programmes. Every year the country observes National Girl Child Day on 24 January, to achieve gender justice, to raise voice for voiceless, disseminate information about the disparity, inequality, discrimination, and violence perpetuated against the girl child.
The day came to be organised and observed since 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, GoI. The objective is to strengthen efforts to bring sensitisation in all institutions about the constitutional safeguards, statutory provisions, welfare schemes, plans about the rights of the girl child in the family, society, in primary educational institutions, schools, colleges, departments, hospitals, social welfare departments, both in organised and unorganised sectors of the society.
The initiatives taken by the Ministry of Women and Child Development more than two decades are attaining fruition on the ground level, the untiring organised efforts and support from social welfare department, educational department, and health department; in terms of scholarships, Ladly Beti Scheme, Beti Bachoo Beti Padhoa, Marriage Assistance Schemes, and reservations in admissions for under privileged sections of the society.
The girl child is fraught with number of issues and problems like female child marriage, female child labour, trafficking of females, domestic violence, sexual harassment, bullying, stalking etc. The technology is being misused against girl child, inspite of available safeguards provided under law. The efforts by the Ministry of Women and Child Development regarding the steps taken for the welfare of female child are commendable.
India is a signatory to United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child, and also signatory to the Programme of Action (POA), and Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The social security provided to her from birth till her life by statutes has increased her status, honour and position in the society. The fair play of justice towards her rights across the length and breadth of the country has been gaining momentum over the years.
We have found in our societies abandoned babies, mostly female, thrown in dust bins near hospitals, graveyards, deserted houses, roadsides. It happens because of number of factors like congenital deformities, born out of legal relationship.
Even for such children there is a beneficial legislation. CARA, Centre for Care of Adoption for such children as provided under Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act 2015 is very important. Integrated Child Protection Services in Jammu and Kashmir has done a wonderful job. The minor girls were saved from forceful marriages against their consent by the efforts of child welfare committees in different districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
The people working in unorganised sectors like factories, brick kilns, casual labours, seasonal workers etc., where the condition of their children is pathetic one, needs holistic support from government, NGOs and other stakeholders. This, to save their children from exploitation, human trafficking, drug trafficking etc., and put them on the right track in the overall interest of society.
The girl child needs institutional support from family to society to offices; all this to develop her in a peaceful atmosphere, into as good human being which shall serve the interests of society in all spheres of life.
The girl child must be equipped and inculcated with such traits, qualities, which make her self-reliant, contributory, purposeful, meaningful for the society and not a burden for parents, society and the nation.
After all she has to play many role in different capacities throughout her life. Any discrepancy, negligence, indifference towards the development and empowerment of girl child mars the peace of families, societies. Thus need of the hour is sensitisation of all the institutions to work for the progressive development of female child.
By Feroz Khan