International Day of the Girl Child

In 2011, the UN declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child to recognize girls’ rights and to highlight the challenges that girls face around the world while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.

Gender equality is a global priority and each year a separate theme is set with the same hidden purpose of uplifting girls and removing gender inequality. The first International Girl Child Day was celebrated in the year 2012. The theme of the first International Girl Child Day was ‘End of Child Marriage‘.

International Day of the Girl Child 2024 theme: “Girls’ vision for the future.“

Girl child in India

Girls face inequality in fields like access to nutrition, education, medical care, legal rights, and protection from discrimination, violence against women, and forced child marriage. It is very unfortunate that the number of girls in India has steadily declined. According to census data in India, the child sex ratio (0-6 years) in India was 927 girls per 1,000 boys in 2001, which dropped to 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011. The reason is that a large number of people in all sections prefer to have a son and do not want to have a daughter. Despite the high achievement of girls in various fields, it is a harsh reality for most girls born in India. They are deprived of basic rights like education, health, and protection from child marriage, face torture, and are subjected to violence.

The Government of India launched Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) Yojana (save daughter, educate daughter) on 22 January 2015, to save and empower the girl child and remove gender discrimination against girls child in the Indian society. This scheme is to aware people of the importance of girls in society. It is to increase awareness among common people to save the lives of the girl children by completely removing the female foeticide. People should celebrate the birth of their girl child and educate them with full responsibility as they do for their boy child.

This scheme is regarding girl safety, protection, and better education in the future without much load on the parents. In order to support this campaign, the government of India has started another program named Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana. This scheme involves reducing the burden of parents at a young age. Because, according to this scheme, parents have to deposit some money in the bank on a monthly basis for which they will get benefited in the future at the young age of their girl child whether for education or marriage. ‘National Girl Child Day‘ is celebrated in India every year on 24 January.

The immediate issues to be tackled now are:

Awareness of gender equality
Education for women
Medical aid and health issues
Safety in the public transport system
Women safety cells
Campaigns on sensitization towards women and children
Cybercrime cells
Crisis Management center’s
Awards for role models, parents, and other categories

But sadly, not only in India but in so many parts of the world girls are too often invisible. Their voices are not heard, and their dreams are left unfulfilled. There are dozens of countries where girls are viewed as property, frequently forced into marriage when they are 10, 12, or 13 years old, and every year, 2 million girls who haven’t even celebrated their 15th birthday become mothers, destined to a continuing spiral of poverty, a lack of education, and yes, even a sense of hopelessness.

So this October 11th raise your voice, don’t be silent – add your voice to the thousands who are shouting the message that every girl has value, no matter where they are born, or grow up. Join Unstoppable as we celebrate girls all over the globe and together, let’s recognize the value of girls everywhere! Remind your friends on social media about the International Day of the Girl Child-tell them you’ve had enough, and that gender inequality must end! Millions of girls around the world are counting on us to make visible the invisible, and give a voice to the voiceless.

Suggested Read: Elimination of Violence Against Women

We should create a world where girls are treated equally no matter where they live, and that they are given the chance to dream of a future filled with promise, and have a right to learn AND receive an education!

Why kill an innocent girl every day?

Bring a smile to those angels. SAVE THE GIRL CHILD, EDUCATE THE GIRL CHILD!

Suggested Read: Important Days In October