On 24 January as India celebrates National Girl Child Day 2022, Sheatwork focuses on the importance of developing the entrepreneurial spirit in the girl child.
National Girl Child Day is observed every year in India on January 24, to promote awareness about the rights of a girl child; and this is also aimed at promoting their education, health, nutrition and most importantly, their independence. Various ministries and other organisations organise different events on this day, to raise awareness about inequalities faced by girls and the importance of their empowerment.
Celebrating National Girl Child Day today, (January 24, 2022) is indeed, very significant. Interestingly, as we look at driving gender equality and improving the status of girls it is equally critical to understand the importance of investing in young women’s economic empowerment and skills development. And, what better contribution than getting young women to be financially independent! In fact, if they can start and run their own businesses they can reach any heights of success!
Celebrating the girl child
Celebrating the girl child on National Girl Child Day is actually opens up opportunities for Indian girls. We know that in India, unfortunately, gender inequality is one of the major issues that need focus. At this point, we remember what Malala Yousafzai said – “We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave – to embrace the strength within themselves and realise their full potential.” So, it does appear that we need to focus on this and arrive at solutions.
Initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the National Girl Child Day has underlined the main objective as – to highlight the inequalities faced by girls, to increase the consciousness of the people and offer new opportunities to the girl child in the society; to remove all inequalities to promote awareness – including the rights of a girl child; to ensure that the girl child should avail of all human rights, respect and value in the country; and to work on gender discrimination and educate people.
Educating girls & honing their entrepreneurial skills
What can be done to enhance the independence of girls and their entrepreneurial skills? The first thing that can be – to refine their interpersonal skills. Teach them to be confident, friendly and approachable, consistently, and encourage them to practice these things daily, so that it becomes a habit.
Secondly, when they decide to become business leaders, they should connect with other entrepreneurs. Networking is really crucial. Social platforms like Twitter is a great place to start. They can create lists (with hashtags) on relevant topics relevant, create another list with the top entrepreneurs you admire, or one focusing on competitors; or, they can join an entrepreneur organization. This way, you can often connect with fellow entrepreneurs at the same stage in their work, who may even be trying to solve the same problems. A quick internet search is all it takes to get started!!
So, joining communities in your industry is a great tip. All social media platforms are different. So, your content strategy also should suit the platform. You can build communities. If there isn’t a community yet you could always start one. Volunteering to lead it, whether that’s a monthly meetup, or an online thing is a sure-fire way to learn quickly.
Ultimately, the long-term benefits of educating the girls and making them independent can only lead to enhanced economic development. Plus, this can lead to ensuring education for the next generation too. Thus, girls pass on multiplying benefits.
Educating girls is pivotal to the development of a balanced and forward-looking society. and, is true, a uniquely positive force for the development of the society and the country, at large.
Avtar Madan
Content Team
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
