National Girl Child Day – History, Objectives and Celebration

National Girl Child Day in India is celebrated on January 24 every year since 2008 to raise awareness about the atrocities faced by girls and highlight the inequalities they suffer. Let us look at how the day is celebrated, its history, objectives, and themes.

What Is National Girl Child Day?

National Girl Child Day is an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development to highlight the facts and challenges girls face in India due to extreme gender biases.

The prime goal of National Girl Child Day is to create awareness in society about the rights of girls and to present new opportunities to our daughters for their social and economic development. The Ministry of Women and Child welfare also observes National Girl Child Week from January 24 to January 30. During the week, significant programs like “Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao” signature campaign, plantation drives, nameplate drive in daughters’ names, campaigns on women’s right and mass oaths for girl child protection is administered all over the country.

When Is National Girl Child Day?

The national girl child day is observed on January 24 each year since it was initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Why Do We Celebrate National Girl Child Day?

The National Girl Child Day was initiated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to celebrate the importance of girls in society while spreading awareness among people about the inequalities faced by girls in the country, promote awareness about the rights of a girl child, and stress on the importance of their education, health, and nutrition.

The History Behind National Girl Child Day Celebration

National Girl Child Day was first initiated in the year 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to spread awareness of the gender-based discrimination faced by the girls in our society. The day aims to bring a change in the attitude of the Indian society towards the girl child.

The government has taken several steps to change society’s attitude and improve the conditions faced by every young girl. Free or Subsidised education, several campaigns such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Save the Girl Child, Reservations for women in colleges and universities have been initiated by the government to reduce gender discrimination in our society.

What Are the Objectives Of National Girl Child Day?

The objective of celebrating the day is to highlight the inequalities suffered by the girls in India, raise awareness about female rights and promote awareness on the importance of girls’ nutrition, health, and education.

The objectives behind celebrating National Girl child Day are:

• To provide support and opportunities to the girls in Indian society.
• To eliminate the inequalities faced by the girl child.
• To ensure that the girls get their rights and are given value and equal respect in the country.
• To increase the consciousness of the people and bring a change in the attitude.
• To remove gender discrimination and bias by educating people.

How Is National Girl Child Day Celebrated in India?

The National Girl Child Day is celebrated to raise awareness of the inequalities and gender discrimination the girls face in our society and promote their education and health.

The government of India organizes several campaigns to change the perception among the people regarding the status of girls in society. To mark the day, the government organizes awareness campaigns under Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme. The Indian government aims to highlight the inequalities and problems faced by the girl children in their lives.

The government runs several ads on TV channels, radio stations, and local newspapers with the message “Save the Girl Child.” Along with the government, several NGOs and other organizations also participate in the celebration and raise awareness among society to bring equality and education to our girls.

National Girl Child Day Themes

The National Girl Child Day is celebrated with a theme every year based on different issues related to the inequalities faced by the girls and the attitude of society towards these. The Government celebrated girl child day in 2019 with the theme of “Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow.”

The National Girl Child day 2021 marks the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme. It is being celebrated across the country to raise awareness of the declining Child Sex Ratio issue.

This year, Punjab announced the month of January to be the “month of Girl Child” and launched Dheeiyan Di Lohri’s scheme.

The Odisha state government honored the organizations and individuals who worked towards child marriage-free villages on the National Girl Child Day.

National Girl Child Day Quotes and Slogans

Here are a few heartwarming quotes and slogans about Girl Child Day that will empower you to support the cause :

Quotes

1. “When girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous.” – Michelle Obama

2. “A baby girl is one of the most beautiful miracles in life, one of the greatest joys we can ever know, and one of the reasons why there is a little extra sunshine, laughter, and happiness in your world today.” –  Anonymous.

3. “We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational, and so disciplined they can be free.” – Kavita Ramdas.

4. “Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That’s what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.” – Bethany Hamilton.

5. “The world needs strong women. Women who will lift and build others, who will love and be loved. Women who live bravely, both tender and fierce. Women of indomitable will.” – Amy Tenny

6. “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 realize their full potential.” – Malala Yousafzai.

7. “Little girls dance their way into your heart, whirling on the tips of angel wings, scattering gold dust and kisses in our paths” – Anonymous.

Slogans

• “A Girl Is Whole By All Means… Not A Toy By Any Means…Underneath Her Hair And Make-Up, There Is a Sign That Says: Handle With Care”

• “Boisterous As Wind, Playful As Balloon, Please Don’t Kill The Little Butterfly In Her Cocoon.”

• “A Son Is A Son Till He Gets Her Wife, But A Daughter Is A Daughter For Her Whole Life”

• “Don’T Be Cold, Girls Are Worth More Than Gold”

• “A Female Has The Right To Her Body, Even If She’S Still In The Womb”

• “Let me live – Let me bloom – Let me shine like the beautiful moon”

• “A girl not only educates herself but also educates the whole nation”

The inequalities and gender bias have been prevalent in Indian society for a long time. Females face several issues and challenges during their lives, and some even before they are born. The National Girl Child Day is a symbolic day to address the issue and raise awareness among society. The day aims to educate people about the importance of a girl’s education, health, and nutrition and change their attitude and think about raising the country’s daughters.

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