National Girl Child Day
India celebrates National Girl Child Day on January 24 every year. SBS and its fraternity has always focused on female empowerment since it inception. The National Girl Child Day is an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It focuses on the need to address the challenges of gender bias in our society and the whole purpose of the day is to change society’s attitude towards females. The SBS family, has taken several measures to both emancipate the girl child especially from humble socio-economic background in areas of education, health and self-awareness. This day we resolve to make 2021 a year where we keep our enhanced focus on this cause:
– The initiative marked its inception in 2008 and the objective of celebrating the day is to highlight the inequalities faced by girls in the country. It also focuses on promoting awareness about the rights of a girl child and generates awareness on the importance of girl education, health, and nutrition.
– To mark the day, the government organises awareness campaigns under Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save the girl child, Educate the girl child) schemes. The Government issues simple directives for citizens which include- -celebrate the birth of girl child in the family and community, take pride in daughters and oppose the mentality of ‘Bojh’ and ‘Paraya Dhan’, find ways to promote equality between boys and girls, secure admission to & retention of girl child in schools, engage men and boys to challenge gender stereotypes and roles and educate and sensitize our sons to respect women and girls as equal members of society.
– According to a government press release, National Girl Child day 2021 is being celebrated across the country with the objective of raising awareness on the issue of the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR). The celebrations will also mark the anniversary of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme.
– While Punjab has announced January 2021 to be the “month of the girl child”, the scheme Dheeiyan Di Lohri has also been launched. And the Odisha government has decided to honour individuals and organisations who have worked towards mitigating child marriage on National Girl Child Day.
