Girl Child Day

Swabhiman – Women’s Health ad Empowerment Programme of Smile Foundation – celebrated Girl Child Week 2007 in different communities of Delhi. The event celebrated between 17th and 21st of September culminated with celebration of International Girl Child Day on 24th of September 2007. About 5,000 adolescent girls and women from the communities participated in the week long event. The celebration included various advocacy campaigns, awareness drives, street plays and other innovative programmes.

Swabhiman, initiated by Smile Foundation and with support from Population Foundation of India, has adopted various communities in Eastern and Southern parts of Delhi with interventions on health care (including RCH) and empowerment.

"I feel that women are the great creation of God because all human beings need love and affection to grow in life and these qualities are in abundance in all women. I am very happy with the work of Swabhiman because the programme has evoked self confidence in all girls and amongst women and now they are becoming independent," said Ms. Nita Malhotra, ACP – Crime Against Women Cell, Delhi, who was a guest of honour on the Girl Child Day celebration. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Lalitendu Jagatdeb, Joint Director (M & E), Population Foundation of India (PFI) said, "We are very much worried with the figure of census which clearly indicates that the number of girls is coming down drastically and this will have a large scale impact on our social structure. But at the same time I am very much encouraged with the efforts done under the Swabhiman project and PFI is planning to replicate the programme throughout the country.”

Sudhir K. Rai from Centre for Social Research also said, "We should now accept the fact that Meri Beti Meri Shakti is the real truth of our life. If we really want to progress then we cannot afford to ignore girls and women and we have to delegates rights to them.”

Ms Meena Batra, Programme Director - Swabhiman said, "This is just the beginning of our effort. We will continue our fight against all the odds present in the society which chases female from birth to death and do not allow them to grow in life." She added, “With the encouraging results of our programme, we are planning to expand our program throughout the country."

Speaking on the occasion, Sangita - a community girl said, "Every girl child should get all the opportunity to grow because they have equal potential and given the opportunity they do their best to excel in public life. All girls should also get respect in the society."

Kiran another girl said, "I do not understand why some parents do not want their daughter to study.” She said, "Although I am young I have counselled one family and now they are sending their daughter to school."

In all these locations adolescent girls enthusiastically took part in various competitions such as posters, slogans, essay, debate on issues and themes related to Girl Child empowerment. All girls and women came forward in good numbers to be part of every sessions of experience sharing on Gender Discrimination, Female Feticide, Dowry, Domestic Violence and any issues concerning women.

Community meetings and distribution of IEC material were also an important element of advocacy. In each community the programme was followed by a rally.

Swabhiman is now experiencing great change and achievement in terms of number of participants. Community girls and women who were earlier not forthcoming to be part of any talk or discussions are now putting their heart and soul to this week long celebrating and are empowered further.

Just a beginning in our collective endeavour in bringing dignity and pride to our Girl Child !