NASHIK: National Girl Child Day is celebrated every year on January 24 to raise awareness on the importance of a girl child and the inequities girls face in society. This day was initiated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Government of India in 2008. National Survey 2021 put forth many positive aspects in sex ratio.
In a first, the number of girls admitted to higher education institutes has succeeded that of boys. Also, there are 1,020 women in the country per 1,000 males. However, even now, women need equal representation and acceptance in many fields.
Apart from opportunities, our country registers many heinous crimes against women regularly. From providing equal representation to safeguarding them, there’s a long journey that lies ahead. In this world, parents are the ones who care about their children the most. To understand what kind of atmosphere they wish for their girl child, Deshdoot Times interviewed them.
Acceptance
“My mother used to tell me that my great grandparents always wanted a son. They weren’t happy whenever a daughter was born in our family. However, my grandmother changed the perspective of all. She treated her grandaughters as angels and celebrated every time any of my aunts birthed a girl. Now, after being a mother of two girls, I realise I am the happiest mother in the world, and these two make my world better. I want the world to stop differentiating between males and females and accept everyone without prejudices.” Monica Dhanak, Nashik
Freedom
“I want my daughter to live her life. I want her to enjoy herself with her friends and go out for evening walks. Even though I allow her sometimes, I don’t let her step out of the house if the clock strikes 8:00 p.m. After sunset, I advice her to stay nearby. As a female and a mother, I don’t like putting restrictions on her. I want her to take chances and grow in life. However, I feel like till the time the crimes against women don’t stop, I will keep worrying about her and limit her freedom.” – Sneha Kolekar, Nashikroad
Safety
“I am most concerned about my daughter’s safety. She plays outside in the colony, and even though our colony is extremely safe, I keep checking up on her; after every 15-20 minutes. If I don’t find her in the colony, I start breathing heavily. Perhaps that’s the level of safety I expect for my daughter, and it’s the duty of each human present in this world to provide me reassurance that my child is in safe hands.” – Kanchan Talreja, Deolali Camp
