On the occasion of the National Girl Child Day 2021, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced that India’s sex ratio at birth has improved by 16 base points from 918 in 2014-2015 to 934 in 2019-2020.
National Girl Child Day has been celebrated in India on Janaury 24 every year since 2008. The theme of this year’s National Girl Child Day is celebrating the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) of India. The celebrations will also mark the six-year anniversary of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme.
Since the launch of the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign, the gross enrolment ratio of girls in schools at the secondary level has also increased substantially, UDISE-data has revealed.
During the same period, the various initiatives of the Health Ministry have helped reduce the gender gap in the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) in India to one in 2018 from five in 2015.
The U5MR among girls – which is a strong indicator of gender discrimination -- has also declined from 45 in 2015 to 36 in 2018, the Health Ministry said.
The ministry further informed that the government has also “been making active interventions to improve the nutrition of our #DeshKiBeti (nation’s daughters) through special focus on dietetics of girls under initiatives like Poshan Abhiyan”. Additionally, under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat Programme, iron and folic acid tablets are distributed among children, adolescents, and women.
That apart, to improve the girl child’s health, the Centre has launched a campaign to increase awareness on menstrual hygiene, increase access to good quality sanitary napkins, and ensure safe, environmentally friendly disposal of used napkins.
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