'Girls outperform guys,' the headlines have frequently proclaimed. While student performance is neither gender-based or biassed, it is encouraging to see girls interested and pushing ahead in healthy competition. This is the outcome of sustained efforts to empower and progress girls. Today, if we are to witness a renaissance in our society, we must focus on the girl child in rural areas.

One such crucial milestone is the International Day of the Girl Child (IDG), which has been observed for more than ten years. The UNGA designated October 11 as the day to commemorate the rights of girls, the distinctive challenges they confront around the world, and solutions to these issues in 2011. According to the UN, girls have the right to a safe, educated, and healthy living throughout their entire lives, not only during their formative years. The organisation acknowledged that girls have the power to transform the world by becoming empowered employees, moms, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads, and political leaders if they are given the right support during their adolescent years.

Since gaining its independence, India has made great strides toward having a decent literacy rate. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) and National Statistical Office: NSO, the country's average literacy rate was 77.70%, with literate males at 84.70% and literate females at 70.30%. (2021 and 2022). While there is still much work to be done to achieve gender parity and improve the overall statistics, the government's and the education industry's collective efforts are beginning to show some signs of success.

Educate a woman, educate a nation-Make all Indian schools a safe haven for girls

The biggest weapon in the arsenal to make sure that girls live "fulfilling" lives is probably education. The National Education Policy 2020 was established by the government in recognition of the significance of gender parity in enrolment and completion of education in fostering an equal nation (NEP 2020). Every child is expected to receive an education under the strategy, with a concentration on girls and kids from low-income families. This factor might completely alter India's educational landscape because girls continue to drop out at high rates after elementary school and enrollment rates decline at secondary and higher secondary levels. One of the reasons given for this is that girls are required to leave school when their periods start since there aren't enough restrooms.

Let's talk about a child's school to provide an example of this. For girls, school is a second home because it gives them the confidence and courage to forge their own identities. Individuals, economies, and nations are built on the institution of schools. As a result, every school in the nation needs to have a few basic amenities in place, such as tidy, well-equipped classrooms, knowledgeable instructors, wholesome meals, and clean restrooms. These challenges, particularly the lack of secure and sanitary restrooms, should be dealt with through the Gender Inclusion Fund (GIF), a crucial component of NEP 2020.

The importance of diet and health cannot be overstated. While initiatives like mid-day meal programmes are in existence, the government can fund a portion of GIF specifically to offer extra meals or supplements for girls in order to combat the pervasive problem of malnutrition among women. Additionally, regardless of gender, schools must be a place where kids can recognise and appreciate one another. Sex education, menstrual health and cleanliness, as well as gender sensitization, ought to be taught in schools.

Teach girls so they can realise their great potential

Former PepsiCo CEO and among the world’s most powerful women Indra Nooyi emphatically said, “I don’t believe there’s any economy in the world that can be successful without tapping into the incredible potential of women going forward. I just don’t believe that’s possible.” And how right this statement is!

Boys are still seen as prospective breadwinners in a lot of cultures and nations. Providing girls with opportunities at the developmental level itself is one method to change this view. In fact, providing women with the necessary education and training to prepare them for employment is the best approach to fully realise their incredible potential.

A progressive step in the right direction is to make skill-upgrading and vocational courses required as part of the core curriculum so that all girls, regardless of their family's financial situation, are prepared to enter the workforce.

Every nation needs to put more emphasis on the right of every female to legal literacy. In addition to giving them the ability to realise their enormous potential, this will go a long way toward securing their futures.

Girls' empowerment and diversity should be prioritised

The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao welfare programme has been one of India's most significant moves toward inclusion and empowerment. This programme makes sure that every girl is safeguarded and receives benefits that are inclusive, such as access to a top-notch education and the right to inherit her family's assets. These initiatives, which are complemented by programmes like the Balika Samriddhi Yojana and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, are attempts to first remove the stigma associated with the birth of a girl and then provide her with possibilities to contribute to society and the economy.

India is a major contributor to and driver of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations. Each of these objectives is dependent on gender equality and the empowerment of women. Accelerating sustainable development requires promoting gender equality and combating all types of discrimination against women and girls. Nations can only guarantee security and nourishment for future generations by defending the rights of girls and women.

The United Nations and its member nations mark the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11 in an effort to raise awareness of gender inequity and enhance opportunities for young girls.

Here are some of the policies and initiatives the Indian government has implemented to advance the interests of girls:

The Beti schemes

Social programmes like the Beti Bachao Abhiyan, combined with restrictions on prenatal sex assignment, along with rising levels of education and money, have begun to normalise sex ratios in India. The government has also made a tremendous effort to support young females.

Among these programmes is the illustrious and well-known Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign. The campaign is an all-encompassing effort to prevent female infanticide and foeticide, promote young girls' education, safety, and protection of their rights, such as the right to inherit property.

Financial Schemes

Another programme is the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, a savings-based programme that encourages and aids parents in setting aside money for their daughters' future costs. Higher education and marriage are a couple of these. The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana attempts to eliminate the financial stigma associated with having a girl child in India, alongside the Balika Samridhi Yojana.

Educational schemes

Other significant programmes that encourage parents to let their daughters study longer and finish their higher education include the CBSE Udaan Scheme and the National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education.

Education is one of the most crucial actions the government can do to promote young girls because it is directly tied to higher levels of prosperity, health, and empowerment.

Menstrual Hygiene Initiative

Supportive programmes that focus on hygiene and health are crucial for assisting young girls. The Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS), which attempts to offer sanitary goods to young girls at heavily subsidised rates, is one of the more significant ones.

Providing education and infrastructure support is essential to ensuring that these girls continue their education because the majority of girls drop out of school owing to their periods.

Girls also experience the poor hygienic conditions in homes and schools, and occasionally there are no working toilets, which is a problem the government is addressing with the Swachh Bharat Mission.