The Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 2nd January, 2015 at Panipat, Haryana. It is a tri-ministerial effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development.
Overall Goal: Celebrate the Girl Child & Enable her Education
According to census data, the child sex ratio (0-6 years) in India was 927 girls per 1,000 boys in 2001, which dropped drastically to 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011. This figure is further expected to reduce by 2021.
Purpose:
- BBBP was launched to addresses the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR)
- Focus on Issues of women empowerment over a life-cycle continuum.
Objectives:
- Prevent gender biased sex selective elimination
- Ensure survival & protection of the girl child
- Ensure education of the girl child
– Film actress Madhuri Dixit was selected as Brand Ambassador.
Logo Designed via nationwide competition
Smt.Maneka Gandhi awarded the Beti Bachao Beti Padao Logo Design winner with a Citation and Cash prize to Mr.A J Raghavendra of Hyderabad.
The BBBP program started in 100 districts that had Child-Sex-Ratio less than 918. In 2016, marking the start of the second phase of this project, the scheme was further expanded to 61 additional districts selected from 11 States/UT having CSR below 918.
In August 2016, Olympics 2016 bronze medalist Sakshi Malik was made brand ambassador of the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ initiative in Haryana
Sakshi Malik is India’s bronze medalist at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Sakshi became the first Indian woman wrestler to clinch a medal at the biggest sporting extravaganza.
She will be new brand ambassador for the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'(save daughters, teach daughters) campaign in Haryana.
The Beti Bachao campaign is supported by numerous medical or organisations India, including the Indian Medical Association.
What can we all do as individuals:
- Celebrate the birth of girl child in the family and community
- Take pride in daughters and oppose the mentality of ‘Bojh’ and ‘Paraya Dhan’.
- Find ways to promote equality between boys and girls.
- Secure admission to & retention of the girl child in schools.
- Engage men and boys to challenge gender stereotypes and roles.
- Educate and sensitise our sons to respect women and girls as equal members of society.
- Report any incident of sex determination test.
- Strive to make neighbourhood safe & violence-free for women & girls.
- Oppose dowry and child marriage within the family and community.
- Advocate simple weddings.
- Support women’s right to own and inherit property.
- Encourage women to go out, pursue higher studies, work, do business, access public spaces freely etc.
- Mind his language and be sensitive to women and girls.