National Girl Child Day 2024: It is observed on 24 January to spread awareness about the inequalities faced by girls in Indian society, and also to promote awareness about the rights of the girl child and the importance of female education, health, and nutrition. The day is in line with various campaigns and programs of the Indian government including Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Save the Girl Child.
The objective behind celebrating National Girl Child Day is to provide support and opportunities to the girls of India. As we know in India, gender inequality is one of the major issues that needs to be focused on and it exists in several areas including legal rights, education, medical care, marriage, etc. Female foeticide is another major issue that further affects the demographic problems in India.
No doubt, the step of the Government of India to celebrate National Girl Child Day is an improvement mission for young girls and also a promotion of the significance of girls as a child.
National Girl Child Day 2024 Theme
The Indian government has not officially announced a theme for National Girl Child Day 2024. However, it is said that the celebration this year will be around the slogan, "Digital Generation, Our Generation, Our Time is Now—Our Rights, Our Future."
National Girl Child Day 2024 History
National Girl Child Day was first initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The main objective behind this is to highlight the inequalities faced by girls and to promote awareness including the rights of a girl child, and the importance of education, health, and nutrition. Nowadays also gender discrimination is a major problem that girls and women face throughout their life.
National Girl Child Day 2024 Objectives
- To increase the consciousness of the people and offer new opportunities to the girl child in society.
- To remove all the inequalities faced by the girl child.
- To ensure that the girl child should get all their human rights, respect, and value in the country.
- To work on gender discrimination, and to educate people.
- To work against diminishing child sex ratio in India and change the mind of the people regarding girls as children.
- To increase awareness about the importance and role of the girl child.
- To provide opportunities to girls and rights for their betterment.
- To educate people about the health and nutrition of a girl.
- To provide equal rights and allow them to move to any part of the country.
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National Girl Child Day 2024: Rights of a Girl Child in India
Various schemes are mentioned by the Government of India to make the living status of the girl child better. Some of the schemes are as follows:
- The determination of sex in clinics during pregnancy has been blocked by the government.
- Child marriages of girls are restricted now.
- To save a girl child a scheme namely "Save the Girl Child" has been introduced by the government.
- Free and compulsory education for both boys and girls till 14 years of age has improved the education of girl children.
- To fight malnutrition, high illiteracy, poverty, and infant mortality in society, antenatal care has been made necessary for all pregnant women.
- Many Laws are made by the Government like Anti-Sati, and Anti-MTP to make women get employment and status to the Women.
- To give equal rights and opportunities to girls' several rules are made by the government for the betterment of the future.
- Five Year Plans have been made by the government to look after the Education Status of the Backward States in India.
- The 'Operation Blackboard' has been created by the government for Girls by which every teacher gets Higher Education for making students better in education.
- Even several Balwadi creches have been opened by the government for caring for babies and also making them visit primary schools.
- The government has introduced SHG or Self Help Groups to make the livelihood better for rural girls.
- The Open Learning System has been established for easiness to the girls of backward classes.
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National Girl Child Day 2024: How is National Girl Child Day celebrated?
Various events are organized all across the country to celebrate Girl Child Day to promote education, position, equal status, etc. in society. Also, the Government of India organizes several campaigns to increase the consciousness among the people regarding girl children in Indian society. Through this campaign, the Government of India highlights the inequalities and problems related to the girl child. Several advertisements are run by the government on TV channels, local newspapers, and radio stations giving the message "Save the Girl Child". Even NGO or non-government organizations take part in the celebration and spread awareness among society to treat girl children equally and educate them, etc.
The government of India has not announced any theme for the celebration of National Girl Child Day this year till date. However, the theme of yesteryear's celebration was 'Digital Generation, Our Generation, Our Time is Now- Our Rights, Our Future.'
On 24 January 2020, Madhya Pradesh celebrated National Girl Child Day on the theme "Aware girl child-able Madhya Pradesh" under the scheme Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao. On this day, the state government also examined the health of girls and generated awareness about the rights of girls and daughters. From 24 to 30 January, the Women and Child Development Department will also observe National Girl Child Week.
In 2019 the theme of National Girl Child Day was "Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow".
Therefore, every child in the country may be a boy or a girl is important and are the future of the country. Girls should be treated equally and should get all the opportunities in our society for the welfare of the Nation as a whole.
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