HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 24: A powerful message of hope and action resonated from the National Girl Child Day 2025 convention held at the Assam Water Centre, Guwahati on Friday. Organised by the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) in collaboration with the Child in Need Institute (CINI) and Bal Raksha Bharat (BRB), the event brought together over 200 participants to celebrate the theme, “Empowering the Girl Child: Creating Equal Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow.” The convention highlighted the critical need for collective efforts to address challenges faced by girls in Northeast India, focusing on education, health, protection, and equal opportunities. Participants included 115 young adults, alongside representatives from government bodies, law enforcement, academia, NGOs, media, and civil society.
The two-hour event began with an inauguration and a welcome address that set the tone for an inspiring day. Four adolescent girls shared their personal experiences, reflecting on their aspirations and the barriers they face.
A panel discussion featuring experts from Women and Child Development (WCD), ASCPCR, academia, social work, and media explored actionable strategies to empower girls in Assam. Discussions underscored key issues such as child marriage, teenage pregnancy, education, and gender-based violence. The findings of the panel discussion are as follows. 31.8% of women aged 20-24 in Assam were married before the legal age of 18, according to NFHS-5.11.7% of women aged 15-19 years in the state have begun childbearing. Female literacy stands at 77.2%, but dropout rates remain concerning, particularly in rural and tribal areas. ASCPCR reports a 55% rise in cases of violence against women and children between 2018 and 2019. The voices of adolescent girls took center stage, shedding light on the unique challenges they face and emphasizing the need for urgent intervention.
The convention concluded with a collective commitment to empowering girls and creating a safe, equitable society. Representatives from NGOs such as UNICEF Assam, North East Network, and Aide-et-Action pledged to continue their collaborative efforts to ensure girls’ access to education, healthcare, and protection.
It can be aptly mentioned that National Girl Child Day is observed annually on January 24 to advocate for the rights of girls and highlight the barriers to their growth. The 2025 theme underscores the urgent need for action to create equal opportunities for every girl in India. The event successfully underscored the importance of collaboration between government, civil society, and local communities to empower girls and ensure their holistic development.
Our Dibrugarh Correspondenrt adds: National Girl’s Child Day was observed jointly by the district health society and the additional chief medical and health officer at the Dr John Berry White Seminar Hall, Dibrugarh on Friday.
The programme started with awareness rally in Dibrugarh city, which was participated by nursing students, ASHA workers and other health staffs.
In the awareness meeting, Arunima Das, subdivisional medical and health officer and Dr Utpala Baruah, medical officer, Urban SD spoke about the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign which was launched on January 22, 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dr Amrit Baruah, retired joint director of health services said that the main objective of the campaign is to stop the growing discrimination against girls and promote their education.
Under this campaign, the government has launched many schemes for girls, such as the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, which aims to provide financial security to girls for their future.
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign has made many efforts to change social attitudes towards girls.
The meeting concluded with an appeal by the Addl Chief Medical and Health Officer to increase awareness on education of girl child in the society.
He informed that the health department has started a mass awareness by MMU in the tea gardens of the district from Friday by using audio clips and people have been made aware of the rights of girls and the importance of their education.