National Girl Child Day 2025: Significance of the day and legal rights of girls in India | Read in Detail

National Girl Child Day: Observed annually on January 24, National Girl Child Day in India serves as a reminder of the rights, opportunities, and challenges that girls face across the nation. The day aims to raise awareness about the gender disparities that hinder girls' access to education, healthcare, and equality. It is also an occasion to celebrate their achievements and advocate for a society that fosters empowerment and equal opportunities for girls.

Significance of National Girl Child Day

National Girl Child Day, first launched in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), seeks to highlight various challenges confronting girls in India. These challenges range from gender-based discrimination and early marriage to limited access to essential resources. This day is part of the broader national effort to improve the lives of girls, ensuring they have equal opportunities in all spheres of life.

The day underscores the systemic barriers faced by girls in India, including cultural and societal obstacles, which often limit their potential. It aims to create a supportive environment where girls can thrive, excel, and contribute to shaping the nation's future.

Key goals of National Girl Child Day

Promoting education for girls: One of the primary goals of National Girl Child Day is to encourage the education of girls, particularly in rural and underserved areas where access to education is still limited. Due to societal norms, poverty, and early marriage, many girls are deprived of education. This day calls for a collective shift in mindset to prioritize education for girls, allowing them to unlock their full potential.

Advocating for gender equality: Gender inequality remains a pervasive issue in India, where girls are often considered less valuable than boys. National Girl Child Day highlights the importance of challenging these cultural biases and fighting for equal opportunities in all aspects of life, including education, the workplace, and within the family.

Promoting health and safety for girls: Girls are particularly vulnerable to health issues such as malnutrition, early pregnancies, and inadequate healthcare. National Girl Child Day emphasises the need for health programmes tailored to girls' needs, ensuring their physical and mental well-being. It also highlights the urgent need to protect girls from abuse, trafficking, and violence, which remain significant threats in many regions.

Celebrating achievements of girls: This day provides an opportunity to recognise and honour the achievements of young girls who have excelled in areas like academics, sports, and social contributions. Celebrating these successes serves as an inspiration for other girls, showing that gender is not a barrier to achievement.

Challenges faced by girls in India

Despite various legal reforms and initiatives, girls in India still face significant obstacles:

Gender bias and discrimination: In many areas, girls are seen as secondary to boys, leading to limited access to education, healthcare, and inheritance rights.

Child marriage: Early marriage remains prevalent, with millions of girls married before the age of 18. This not only disrupts their education but also exposes them to health risks and early pregnancies.

Limited economic opportunities: Traditional gender roles often limit the career choices available to girls, which in turn restricts their financial independence and future prospects.

Violence and exploitation: Girls remain disproportionately affected by violence, exploitation, and trafficking. Reports of sexual abuse and exploitation continue to rise, emphasising the need for stronger laws and enforcement mechanisms.

Govt Initiatives for welfare of girl child

The Central Government has implemented several initiatives to address these challenges and improve the lives of girls:

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme: Launched in 2015, this programme aims to promote gender equality, improve the sex ratio, prevent female foeticide, and encourage girls' education. It works to spread awareness and improve the welfare of the girl child across the country.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana: A savings scheme designed to secure the future of the girl child, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana helps parents save for their daughters' education and marriage, offering attractive interest rates and tax benefits.

Kishori Shakti Yojana: This initiative focuses on the nutritional and health needs of adolescent girls. It also provides education on health and hygiene, skills development, and financial literacy to empower girls and prepare them for a better future.

Mahila E-Haat: A digital platform launched to empower women and girls by showcasing their entrepreneurial skills and allowing them to sell products online, thus promoting economic independence.

Legal rights of girls in India

In India, girls have several legal rights aimed at ensuring their safety, education, and overall well-being. These rights, enshrined in the Constitution and various laws, are designed to empower girls and protect them from harm, inequality, and exploitation. While these rights have made significant strides in improving the status of girls in the country, there are still challenges in terms of their full implementation, especially in rural areas.

Right to Education: Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, girls in India have the fundamental right to free and compulsory education from the age of 6 to 14 years. This law has played a crucial role in increasing enrollment rates for girls in schools, although the gender gap in education persists in some regions.

Right to Equality: The Constitution guarantees the right to equality for all citizens, including girls, under Article 14 and Article 15. These provisions prohibit discrimination based on gender, ensuring that girls have equal access to opportunities and resources.

Right Against Child Marriage: India has strict laws in place to protect girls from child marriage. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, sets the legal age for marriage at 18 for girls. This law aims to prevent early marriage, which often limits the education and development of young girls.

Right to Protection from Sexual Harassment: The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013, protects girls from sexual harassment in educational institutions, workplaces, and public spaces. The law requires the establishment of internal complaints committees to address grievances and create a safer environment for girls.

Right to Safety Against Abuse: The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, provides strong legal protection to girls against sexual abuse and exploitation. The law defines sexual offences against children and establishes stringent punishments for offenders.

Right to Property: The Hindu Succession Act, 1956, grants daughters equal inheritance rights to their father's property. This legal right ensures that girls have the same property rights as boys, promoting financial independence and empowerment.

Right to Prevent Female Genital Mutilation: The Prevention of Female Genital Mutilation Act is aimed at eliminating harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM), which affects some girls, particularly in specific communities. This law ensures that girls are protected from this harmful tradition.

Right to Health: The Central Government recognises the right of girls to receive proper healthcare. The National Health Policy provides access to healthcare services for women and children, addressing their unique health needs, including reproductive health and nutrition.

Right to Protection from Dowry: Dowry-related harassment remains a concern in many parts of India. The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, prohibits the demand and acceptance of dowry, ensuring that girls are not forced into marriages for financial gain and are protected from exploitation.

Right to Personal Liberty and Freedom: Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to life and personal liberty. This includes the freedom of choice, movement, and expression, ensuring that girls have the autonomy to make decisions about their lives, careers, and future.