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| National Girl Child Day and miles to go before we sleep | | | Ravish Singh Rana | 1/24/2019 11:10:25 PM |
| 24th of January 2019- was the day of National Importance which was celebrated across entire Country, with different regions, states and places joined hands together to celebrate this event of national importance. National Girl Child Day, as the day suggest, was celebrated to widely disseminate and promote Girl Child Right with themes like talk shows on girl child right, PC & PNDT (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) act 1994, POCSO (Prevention of Children from Sexual Offence) act 2012, Implications of early child marriage, Personal and Menstrual Hygiene, Self-Defence and various literary, poster-making and slogan-making events were organized by various institutions in collaboration with each other to promote Girl Child Right. It is pertinent to mention here, that significance of observing this event could be attributed to fact that Child sex ratio has been declining across the nation when we compare the data of census 2001 and census 2011. Child Sex Ratio- % of girls per 1000 boys under 0-6 years of age) has declined from 927 in 2001 to 919 in 2011 by 8 points showing declining trends.
In context of Jammu and Kashmir, following data in fig. 1.a shows the status of declining child sex ratio. Though very few districts like Kishtwar (924), Doda (933), Leh (Ladakh-946), Reasi (919), Kargil (977) have managed to keep their CSR above or equivalent to national average of 919 but still they have shown significant declining trends, as can be inferred from figure 1.a. Pertinent to mention, that Districts like Anantnag, Badgam, Ganderbal, Kupwara, Kulgham, Pulwama (major decline), Poonch, and Shupiyan have shown adverse declining trends viz. 13.9%, 13.6%, 14.8%, 13.9%, 11.7%, 20.7%, 11%, and 13%.Even the overall trend seems to be declining and poori.e. 876 below national average i.e. 919, showing total 7% of declining trend from 2001 to 2011 with samba showing the poorest rates.
Inspite of stringent legal frameworks like Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques 1994 act making sex determination a cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offence on the part of any institution, unregistered genetic counseling center, Clinic, Laboratory, or for that matter any family who was involved in sex determination. Recent amendment in POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offence) 2012 act making law more stringent for offenders, thereby increasing the minimum punishment from seven to 10 years and in some cases even leading to life imprisonment or death, do give us a hope of protection of Girl Child Right or any form of child-abuse but still a lot has to come from the society and individuals. Even if we take generic framework of epidemiological triad, where we keep legislative framework as vector, Family as host and society as environment, and if we remove legislative framework from triad,still 66% of effectiveness and responsibility has to come from society and individual. It highlights the importance of family and society in promoting Girl Child Right and for transitioning of orthodox-Patriarchal male dominating environment in to gender neutral space with empowerment to all women and girl. Such a supportive and congenial environment, is not only important for improving CSR but also for realizing SDG5 (Sustainable Development Goal no.5) which our country bind itself to.
In wake of this, various women-centric centrally sponsored schemes have been promoted both at national and at state level, with elaborate and robust institutional mechanisms for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation. To name few viz. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Save Girl Educate Girl, which intends to prevent gender biased sex selection, to prevent survival and protection of girl child, and to ensure education and participation of the girl child; Mahila Shakti Kendra under umbrella scheme Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shashaktikaran Yojana (PMMSY) with an aim to provide an interface for rural women to approach government for availing their entitlements and for empowering them through awareness generation, training and capacity building; Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) in a bid to increase Ante-natal checkups and Institutional deliveries, thereby providing conditional cash transfer in three installments, sum of Rs 5000, for first child birth. Much of these schemes are strategically targeted and intended for women empowerment, Girl Child right and acting like a beacon of hope among all women of our country. Their effectiveness is again a question of time that we have to wait for, but still much has to come from society and community ownership and responsibility for promoting girl child right and creating congenial and supportive environment for their holistic development. Country is as developed as its women and their rights, and safeguarding them also means promoting their rights in political, economic, legal and in all social settings, gatherings and forums. |
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