NATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY

 

In the year 2008, the Ministry of Women and Child Development observed the first National Girl Child Day on 24^th January with an aim to highlight inequalities and gender discrimination issues faced by a girl child at various milestones in her life. Through this initiative, the Ministry endeavours to spread awareness about the rights of girl children, including the right to education, nutrition and health.

 The theme of the National Girl Child Day 2021 is to raise awareness about the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR). Across the country, several events were organised to commemorate this day. The  government also put emphasis on Beti Bachao Beti Badhao Scheme and several other schemes focusing on girl child empowerment on the national girl child day.

CHILDLINE 1098, India’s one and only emergency, 24-hour, toll-free helpline for children in distress has left no stone unturned to celebrate this day. Despite the pandemic, all the CHILDLINE partners across the country organised several events with all the COVID-19 protective and social distancing measures.

CHILDLINE plays an important role in the district level task force constituted for Beti Bachao Beti Badhao Scheme to advocate and create awareness among the community people. The teams represent at the district level during the meetings organised for Beti Bachao Beti Badhao scheme.

On the occasion of the girl child day, CHILDLINE Faridabad, Haryana organised an event and a meeting for children in Mirzapur slums. The children danced, created artworks including rangoli to celebrate the occasion. The CHILDLINE team motivated the children and distributed several prizes among them. In Jammu and Kashmir, CHILDLINE Anantnag organised a mass awareness event on the occasion where at least 45 girls along with the ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) workers, local village committee members participated. The CHILDLINE team spread awareness about the services of CHILDLINE 1098 and the importance of a girl child and issues faced by them. CHILDLINE Bundi, Rajasthan celebrated national girl child day with children from shelter homes and slum areas and conducted a meeting with police officers on child rights and child issues.

Across 25 districts of Telangana, CHILDLINE celebrated national girl child’s day on 24^th, 25^th and 26^th January 2021 through different activities and events. A total of 351 officials and stakeholders from allied departments including ICDS and Panchayat Raj along with 1326 children and 602 adults participated. CHILDLINE Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh organised a National Girl Child Day programme at a shelter home in a village. Through this programme, the team discussed the CHILDLINE 1098 services, the importance of girl child education and the disadvantages of child marriage.

In Maharashtra, CHILDLINE Dhule celebrated the national girl child day in a special abled girl’s shelter home. The chief guests of the programme guided the girls about the objectives and the importance of the girl’s rights and education. In Kolhapur, CHILDLINE celebrated the girl child day in Ingavale Mala, Kuchkovari with 36 children.

In West Bengal, almost all the districts celebrated the national girl child day with great pomp and splendour. CHILDLINE Alipurduar distributed winter clothes among the children. An open house programme was organised by CHILDLINE Darjeeling at a school in Kurseong. Railway CHILDLINE Asansol also conducted an open house programme with the nearby local children. In the CHILDLINE advisory board meeting of 2020-21 in Bishnupur, West Bengal, Beti Bacchao Beti Padhao campaign was flagged off, link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXc0SAPcl4k

 

IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY IN A CHILD'S LIFE

 

From the moment when children are born, they are dependent on their parents for every need. Parents play a pivotal role in giving every child an essential social unit, a family. Children learn to utter their first words, develop their language, their values i.e. sanskaars and skills from their family. Hence, it would not be entirely incorrect to say that the family is the first school of any child.

According to UNICEF, every child has the right to grow in a family environment that promotes holistic growth and development. However, worldwide over 2.7 children are raised in institutional care. Children who grow up in an institution are at the risk of physical, social and emotional harm with consequences that can last a lifetime. In institutions, there are very few caretakers or providers for a large number of children. Institutions often fail to provide an environment where a child feels emotionally secure and loved. Such children are more likely to become victims of abuse and violence.

Research suggests that children who do not experience direct parental care during their growing years mature at a slower rate and are more likely to have a poor intellectual quotient. Thus, children succeed where they experience positive growth and complete development.

According to experts, it is important to interact with children and spend quality time with them. It is through such qualitative interactions children can adopt essential values from their parents and learn from their experiences. Parents too can learn about various strengths and weaknesses their children possess and enable them with sufficient support and guidance making them confident and resilient.

Organisations like CHILDLINE 1098, India’s only 24-hour, emergency, toll-free helpline for children in distress play a great role in reinforcing the importance of a family in a child’s life. Over the years, they have rescued and protected thousands of missing, runaway children, victims of child abuse, child marriage, child labour, trafficking and beggary and restored them with their families. During the pandemic, CHILDLINE restored 4735 children with their families.

Lastly, Aristotle, the legendary Greek philosopher said, “Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something that precedes the individual”. An individual cannot break the bonds of mutual dependence in the family or society. This probably develops in the womb with the mother and continues till the last breath.