India, like many other countries in the world is a patriarchal society. This traditional system prefers a male child, who is believed to carry forward the family name. This deeply rooted preference often puts girl-child at a disadvantage.
Coupled with patriarchy, child marriages (that led to lower education levels in girls, and expectation to raise family at an early age) and dowry system (where bride’s family needs to pay a large sum of money to the groom at the time of marriage) further jeopardize women’s participation in the society. In the last few decades, we have questioned this view and have brought about a change with many girl child and women empowerment initiatives.
Equal Opportunities for Education
The view that girls have an equal right to education, firmed up in 19th century. As this idea was gaining ground in Europe and America at that time. At the same time, various social reformers advocated for education for girls in India.
Minimum Age for marriage
In 1929, British Government passed Child Marriage Restraint Act, with minimum age of marriage for girls to be 14 and boys to be 18. This bill was actively supported by many women organizations at that time. After independence, the law was amended in 1949 and minimum age for girls was increased to 15. Twenty years later in 1978 the minimum age was raised to 18 for girls and 21 for boys.
However, despite this act, in 2001 there were 1.5 millions girls in India under the age of 15 years who were already married. In 2006 Indian parliament passed Prevention of child marriage act, which made all child marriages illegal. Any marriage performed before the legal age would automatically be considered null and void.
In 2021 an amendment was introduced, making legal age as 21 for both boys and girls. This amendment however, is yet to be passed by the Parliament.
While the legally reported child marriages have considerably reduced, elimination of child marriage by 2030 remains a priority under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on gender equality.
Equal rights for Boys and Girls
India announced a National policy for children in the year 1974. This policy commits that the state will bear the responsibility for the well being of children, before and after birth. Subsequently the National charter for children 2003 makes the special mention of importance of protecting the rights and dignity of girl child. National plan for action 2005 accorded specific priority to the education of the girl child.
Selective female foeticide
In many patriarchal societies, gender discrimination towards girl child is common. A worst form of gender discrimination is towards yet-to-be-born girls. Advent of ultrasound technology and its expansion in 1980s, made it possible to identify gender in a foetus.
This, coupled with unregulated medical termination of pregnancy (MTP), adversely affected gender ratio in our country. In India, child-sex ratio in 1990 was 945 girls for every 1000 boys. This declined further to 915 girls per 1000 boys in 2010.
In 1994, India banned pre-natal sex-determination and enacted PPNDT act. It became unlawful to declare gender after an ultrasound examination. This act was made more stringent in 2003 and 2011.
National Girl Child day
Caring for girl child (1990) it is an initiative launched by central and state governments to prevent female foeticide and infanticide. The year 1990 was dedicated by SAARC countries as year for the care for the girl child.
India observes 24th January as the National Girl child day. The observance of National Girl Child Day was first initiated in 2008 in India by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The objective of this initiative was to create equal rights and opportunities based on gender and to promote the engagement of girls in sports, education, and equal nutrition and not child labor.
Beti-Bachao, Beti-Parhao (BBBP initiative)
Government of India launched “Beti-Bachao, Beti-Parhao” initiative on 22nd January 2015. This has an English language acronym of BBBP, and means valuing the girl child and empowering her with education. Indeed healthy children, irrespective of gender are a reflection of health of society we live in.
In order to further minimise gender discrimination, various financial security schemes were launched. In 2007 Government of India launched Dhanlakshmi scheme, and various state governments also launched similar schemes (Ladli Lakshmi scheme, Bhagyalakshmi scheme etc)
These were conditional cash transfer to the bank account of the girl child with an insurance cover. In 2015 Government of India also launched Sukanya Samriddhi, scheme to promote savings for education and marriage of the girl child.
Yesterdays Girl children are today’s empowered women
The last available census data showed that the female literacy rate was now at 65.46 percent, a substantial increase from merely 6 percent at the dawn of independence.
As India crosses 75 years of independence, it is incumbent upon us to achieve universal quality education for all. The fourth target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also talks about ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong empowerment.
