New Delhi: International Girl Child Day recognises the rights of girls and the difficulties they encounter globally on October 11 every year. Girls are dismantling gender norms, boundaries, and restrictions. As creators, business owners, and leaders of international movements, they are creating a world that will be relevant for both themselves and the coming generations.
This year, the world is marking the tenth anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child.
The United Nations' website states that over the last decade, there has been a greater focus on issues important to girls among governments, policymakers, and the general public, as well as more opportunities for girls, to have their voices heard on the global stage.
UN has asserted that, nonetheless, investments in girls' rights remain limited, and girls continue to face many obstacles to reaching their full potential, exacerbated by concurrent crises such as climate change, COVID-19, and humanitarian conflict.
Girls all over the world continue to face unprecedented challenges to their education, physical and mental well-being, and the safeguards required for a life free of violence. COVID-19 has exacerbated existing burdens on girls around the world and eroded significant gains made in the last decade.
Here are some of the major global initiatives launched by the UN and other International Organistations in this regard:
UN’s The Spotlight Initiative:
The European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) have launched the Spotlight Initiative, a new global, multi-year initiative aimed at eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG).
The Initiative is so named because it brings this issue to the forefront, putting it at the heart of efforts to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as per the UN website.
Domestic and family violence, sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices, femicide, human trafficking, and sexual and economic (labour) exploitation will all be addressed by the Spotlight Initiative. The Initiative will fully integrate the principle of "leaving no one behind" in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve Gender Equality And Empower All Women And Girls
Over the last few decades, there has been progress: more girls are attending school, fewer girls are forced to marry young, more women are serving in parliament and positions of leadership, and laws are being reformed to advance gender equality.
Despite these gains, many challenges remain: discriminatory laws and social norms persist, women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership, and one in every five women and girls aged 15 to 49 report physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period, the UN Sustatinable Goal website states.
The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to reverse the limited progress made in gender equality and women's rights. The coronavirus outbreak exacerbates already-existing inequalities for women and girls in all areas, from health and the economy to security and social protection.
UN Women has developed a rapid and targeted response focused on five priorities to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women and girls and ensure long-term recovery benefits them:
- Gender-based violence is being mitigated and reduced, including domestic violence.
- Women and girls benefit from social protection and economic stimulus packages.
- People believe in and practice equal sharing of care work.
- Women and girls are at the forefront of COVID-19 response planning and decision-making.
- Gender perspectives are included in data and coordination mechanisms.
The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for bold, positive action to address long-standing inequalities in many aspects of women's lives and to build a more just and resilient world.
Similarly to international initiatives, the Government of India has taken and continues to contribute to women's development schemes. As per the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD), the following are some well-known and beneficial schemes aimed at empowering women from all walks of life:
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: A comprehensive programme is being implemented to address the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and related issues of women's empowerment throughout the life cycle.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana: By offering economic incentives to expectant and nursing mothers for better health and nutrition, the "erstwhile Maternity Benefit Programme" has been helping to create a better enabling environment.
Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme: The scheme aims to encourage community participation by involving Student Volunteers in the empowerment of rural women.
National Creche Scheme: This scheme's objective is to provide daycare services to children aged 6 months to 6 years of employed working women
Rastriya Mahila Kosh: This scheme provides microcredit to poor women on concessional terms for various livelihood support and income-generating activities in a client-friendly procedure to promote their socioeconomic development
Swadhar Greh: This scheme aims to provide assistance and rehabilitation to destitute and distressed women
Working Women Hostels: This scheme provides safe housing for women working away from their place of residence During the last three years, two new proposals have been received and two have been approved under this scheme in Himachal Pradesh.
Schemes of One Stop Centre (OSC) And Women Helpline (WH): They are being implemented to provide women affected by violence with access to a comprehensive range of services, including medical assistance, police assistance, legal aid/case management, psychosocial counselling, and temporary support services.
Gender Budgeting Scheme: It is being used as a tool for mainstreaming gender perspectives at various stages of planning, budgeting, implementation, impact assessment, and reconsideration of policy/program objectives and allocations. The Scheme contributes to the strengthening of institutional mechanisms as well as the training of various stakeholders in order to mainstream gender concerns in the Central and State Governments.