National Girl Child Day is celebrated in India on January 24. This day came into existence in 2008 and was started by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the government of India with the aim of spreading awareness about the issues faced by girls in our society. Irrespective of the progression in different fields, girls are still being mistreated, female foeticide is rampant and many are victims of eve teasing, and sexual harassment.
Ms World International Ambassador Priya Paramita Paul speaks up on the condition of the female population in India, the importance of the day and what things are required to build a safe society for girls.
“I remember there was a time when an editor-in-chief was trying to know my transformation story so that we have all the pointers ready for the news interview. Their main motive was to talk about my story and to inspire women out there but then at the end, he asked me that these are all good and ambitions are good but when are you planning to get married? It is important for a woman to get married because she needs support. These powers look good visually but you need a partner. I was very shocked that this person plans to empower women but in the end, this is what I am being asked,” she shares a story.
Priya feels that it’s wrong to think that in spite of doing everything in life, they mean nothing and women still need men to be complete. This incident left a scar on her heart, making her realise that this is something many women in India are facing daily.
“I felt very insulted that all that I have done isn’t valuable enough that I need a partner to get social value in this world. From this, I realised even with so many initiatives for women, and girl children of every religion and caste, what is missing is the right mindset. We are selling something inspirational but we aren’t ready to accept it in our own lives. We are just ready to talk about it because everyone likes to be an influencer. This is my humble request to all the influencers who talk about women’s rights and saving girl children, first please start believing in yourself. There’s no point in doing something half-heartedly as it will not get us any fruitful results. Kindness and acceptance are very important,” she adds.
