‘International Day of the Girl Child’ is observed across the world on October 11 every year. This day is observed to raise awareness about several issues faced by girl child pertaining to education, nutrition, child marriage, legal and medical rights.
Background Information:
Observance of ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ can be traced back to ‘Because I Am a Girl’ campaign started by Plan International, a non-governmental organization that operates worldwide.
- ‘Because I Am a Girl’ campaign was initiated to raises awareness about nurturing girl child globally and specifically in developing countries.
- Plan International approached Canadian Government to seek support for this campaign. Canadian Government in turn proposed International Day of the Girl Child resolution in the United Nations General Assembly.
- On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to this effect and October 11, 2012 was observed as the first ‘International Day of the Girl Child’.
‘International Day of the Girl Child’ 2017:
Theme of International Day of the Girl Child’ 2017 is “EmPOWER Girls: Before, during and after crises”. The theme seeks to draw global attention and evoke action for the challenges and opportunities faced by girls before, during, and after crises.
- On October 11, 2017, 11 ambassadors of different embassies in Delhi came together to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child in a unique way.
- Envoys of the United States, the European Union (EU), Spain, Sweden, France, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Slovenia, France, South Africa, and New Zealand gave up their seats to girls from underprivileged background for a day.
WCD Ministry celebrated Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week
In view of ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ on October 11, 2017, Union Ministry of Women and Child Development will be celebrating the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week from 9th to 14th October, 2017.
- Theme of this celebration will be “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week- The Daughters of New India”.
- Union Ministry of Women and Child Development celebrates ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ every year to promote empowerment of girls, reinforce gender equality and to provide a platform for highlighting challenges faced by girls.
- Celebration of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week is also expected to create visibility for Government’s Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 to address the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR).