24th January: National Girl Child Day

National Girl Child Day is observed on 24 January to fight against social discrimination and exploitation that girls face almost every day in their lives.

This day provides support, new opportunities to the girls in the country. It is celebrated to raise awareness among people about inequalities, discrimination, exploitation faced by the girls in the society. Inequality may be in terms of education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection, child marriage, freedom, etc. No doubt, the step of the Government of India to celebrate the National Girl Child Day is an improvement mission for the young girls and also promotion of the significance of girls as a child.

History

National Girl Child Day was first initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The main objective behind is to highlight the inequalities faced by girls, to promote awareness including the rights of a girl child, the importance of education, health, and nutrition. Nowadays also gender discrimination is a major problem that girls or women face throughout their life.

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 the 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 child.
– To fight with malnutrition, high illiteracy, poverty and infant mortality in the society, antenatal care has been made necessary for all pregnant women.
– Many Laws are made by the Government like Anti-Sati, Anti-MTP to make women get employment and status to the Women.