Celebrated on 24th January every year in India, National Girl Child Day was introduced by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2008. Aiming to highlight the inequality and bias faced by girl children, this occasion also raises awareness about the rights of girls in our country and also demands better conditions for them.
In short, this day encourages one and all to raise their voice and create a positive environment for girls simultaneously. Incidentally, Girl Child Day also marks the anniversary of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) program.
We can now, step up and encourage girls to come up in front and take up a position in the line of action. Here’s a call to action. Forge ahead. Don’t let any action fade out, just because you feel that the next step seems unclear. Put in your best effort. Maybe you need to make a bold move….bolder than what you’d normally do.
Remember, forging ahead against any doubts and uncertainty is how you learn and work out a win-win situation.
National Girl Child Day brings into focus that we have indeed achieved much in recent past on the path to gender equality. There are positive changes around us. But for sure, we need more work to be added – to ensure equal participation, and to give a voice for women.
The stakes had got higher when the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) was destroying everything around the world, for that ushered in times of great crisis that put women on the front lines. We saw women playing key roles as nurses, social workers and caregivers. They also pitched in – working as doctors and volunteers, and as political and community leaders making critical decisions about how to address the public health, social, and economic effects of the crisis. And, suffice it to say, that they really created waves and have left endearing, unforgettable memories. Women’s participation, to put it in simple words, will be very critical to our success against this shared global threat.
Around the world, many national reforms have been put in place, in recent years to improve the status of women in the workplace.
In highlighting the gendered impact of COVID-19, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights pointed out that, “Targeted measures to address the disproportionate impact of the crisis on women and girls are needed”. The COVID-19 crisis has put unprecedented pressure on governments, development organizations, and communities. While we strive urgently to respond and bring about a balance, we should not lose sight of our goal – to achieve gender equality. Instead, we should make it part of our overall effort to tackle these unprecedented challenges and come out stronger.
Yet, there is still a long way to go…
Despite this meaningful progress, important gender gaps still remain in the horizon. They may vary in scale from country to country; and they may take different forms.
But the message is clear – keep going! And victory will be yours, girls.
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
