International Girl Child Day Special- Why Girls are Special?

By Samyati Mohanty

Every year on October 11, the International Day of the Girl Child is observed. It is a day dedicated to empowering girls and elevating their voices. International Day of the Girl Child, honours adolescent girls by promoting the creation of greater possibilities for them, much like its adult counterpart, International Women's Day, which is observed on March 8. The goal of this day is to reduce gender-based problems that young girls encounter worldwide, such as underage marriages, inadequate educational opportunities, violence, and prejudice.

The "Day of the Girl Child," is themed this year as "Digital generation". The global community can use it as a forum to learn about the challenges girls face online. There are 2.2 billion people under the age of 25, mostly girls, who do not have access to the internet. In many countries, where the male has better access to education and opportunity by virtue of being male, this day seeks to highlight the lot of girls as opposed to the roles of "boys". Statistics across the globe show that one in four girls is unemployed, uneducated, or unskilled, compared to one in ten guys. Even though we now acknowledge this day as International Girls' Day, there is still much that can be done to better the lives of girls.

Do you respond by saying, "Gender preference," if someone brings up the subject? Really? Is it no longer relevant? Your reaction is undoubtedly a result of the fact that you see more girls among the best pupils in your neighbourhood, more women with employment, access to education, money, and resources, and more women in leadership roles and making progress in all spheres. What about all those women and girls who never even had the chance to live, though?

Numerous individuals still desire a male child, notwithstanding the rapid development of India in the twenty-first century. Sons are regarded as assets for political, economic, and ritual reasons because they are seen as the alpha, the guardian, and the provider, but daughters are seen as liabilities.

People have the myths in their mind like- the inability of girls to care for their parents after marriage, domestic violence, mistreatment by spouses and in-laws, mistreatment because they gave birth to a girl, and other sociocultural factors, and then these become a few of the causes of gender preference in India. Gender prejudice coexists with this preference for one gender over the other.

Gender Discrimination in India in Several Forms

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In India, gender discrimination takes many different forms, from infancy to adulthood.

Statistics show, girls have a shorter lifespan, are more susceptible to sickness, have subpar prenatal, natal, and postnatal care, have fewer months of breastfeeding, and receive subpar medical care. They also receive inadequate nutrition and prenatal, natal, and postnatal care.

Women working in cities experience the "glass ceiling" effect and salary discrimination. Another common occurrence is their exclusion from participation in decision-making at practically every level. A lot of women are still denied the ability to inherit family property, which is often awarded to the male offspring, due to the widespread patriarchal social order.

How then can this situation, which does not benefit the female child, be changed? Parents are the finest change-makers because it starts at home. Starting off, let's consider the advantages of having a girl in the family and what she can do for the community.

Having a Girl in the Family

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Future pillars: Just as we often say that today's youth will be tomorrow's citizens, the same is true for our females. They are tomorrow's women. Inequality and gender gaps must be closed in order to empower them, and strong women leaders must be developed. They must be raised to be those leaders of equality and growth, so we must let them live in the present.

Change-makers: According to Brigham Young, "A man is only as educated as he is. You teach a lady, and a generation is educated." Women are more social by nature, which makes them more likely to lend a hand to others around them. Parents may start the shift and develop a change-maker by educating and instilling the appropriate values in their daughter.

Multi-taskers: Multitasking is significantly more suited to women. What makes a girl special is, they are assuming responsibilities that were formerly the domain of men, including as CEOs and business owners, while managing the home and hearth with equal flair. They serve as the family's financial support in some circumstances.

Women are natural planners and organisers, and they have traits like persistence, a maternal spirit, empathy, and sensitivity that, when paired with other positive qualities like planning and organisation, are helpful in establishing inclusive places for people.

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Why should women still be considered less capable when they have such strengths? Today's girls are demonstrating that they are on par with guys in every way. They are establishing themselves as leaders in every sphere, including academia, sport, and the workforce. In every aspect of life, they are juggling numerous roles with ease. Their will to grow and support the growth of others is what will advance our civilization. Their voices are important in building a more egalitarian community because they are supposed to make up half of the population. Additionally, why are daughters special? they transform a "house" into a "home." So go ahead and provide a nice embrace to the your young girl!