Investment in the future of a girl child is inextricably linked to the goal of gender equality and women empowerment. This includes investing in their education, health, skill development, etc. McKinsey’s 2015 report, ‘The Power of Parity: Advancing women’s equality in India’, estimates that India can add $700 billion of additional GDP in 2025 by matching the momentum towards gender parity to the fastest country in the region. A majority of this would come from improving labour force participation by 10 percentage points. This will require bridging both social and economic gaps.

Some of the ways in which investment in the future of girl child can help improve social attitude are:-

• Greater participation of men in women empowerment programmes like He4She campaign
• Innovative methods such as nukkad nataks
• Naming and shaming of the perpetrators of women related crimes.
• Making women more aware of their rights and involving them in formulating policies.

Role of government

Government welfare schemes bring out change in attitude of society and address the gender discrimination by creating a positive environment in favor of the girl child. The roles played by such schemes are as follows
• Elimination of all forms of violence against women and the girl child.
• Strengthening legal systems aimed at elimination of all forms of gender discrimination - enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedom by women on equal basis with men in all political, economic, social, cultural and civil spheres
• Creating an environment through positive economic and social policies for full development of girl child in order to enable them to realize their full potential.
• Equality in decision making in social political and economic spheres.
• Equal access to health care, quality education at all levels, career and vocational guidance, employment, equal remuneration, occupational health and safety, social security and public life etc.

Examples

• Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme was launched to empower the girl child and enable her education and bring positive change in the societal attitude towards the birth of the girl child.
• The Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme help in encouraging people to save for a girl child and discourage child marriages
• The Ladli Scheme Implemented by Delhi & Haryana Government aims at curbing female foeticide and improving the social state of the girl child by supporting education and protecting them from discrimination.

There is a necessity for people’s involvement for success of any programme. For women, the ability to exercise choice will be limited unless there is a change in social attitude.