Presentation made by me for the National Girl Child Day.

1. Mrs. Tina Olyai Director LAHS Reg . Dir. WCTQEE Giving Equal Opportunities To Boys And Girls

2. "The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female. So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly. Until womankind reaches the same degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity will not be realized; humanity cannot wing its way to heights of real attainment. When the two wings . . . become equivalent in strength, enjoying the same prerogatives, the flight of man will be exceedingly lofty and extraordinary." TWO WINGS OF A BIRD

3. Hope For The Country Lies In Giving Equals Opportunities To Boys And Girls.

4. We Indians call our Nation Mother India and are great devotees of Goddess in various manifestations. But is this devotion and respect for the country restricted to only a few words or do we actually implement these values. No, we all are openly playing double standards with our country as well as our Goddess. No ne of us can deny the dual personality of Indians. One end we say that we worship MaaSarastwati, MaaDurga, MaaLaksmi and at the other end we are continuously destroying the precious gift of nature, a girl child. Girl Child Manifestation of Goddess

5. ‘MAMMA’ The latest and innovative techniques of gender detection has empowered the rate of female foeticide in India. Every mother desires to have an abortion if the ultrasound test detects a girl child. Wait a moment…what can you see in the ultrasound? Ten tiny fingers, ten tiny toes, innocent face, ready to come out and feel the beauty of nature and love of mother. Close your eyes and you will hear a sweet voice from within, ‘Mamma’. Will you still abort your unborn girl child? No, you can’t be so cruel, at least not to someone who is a part of you. I WANT TO LIVE …MAA!

6. Traditional role of the girl in Indian society is subservient. Despite the fact that girls have done the country proud. Countless souls like Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, LataMangeshkar, KalpanaChawla, Mother Teresa, SaniaMirza, Sarojini Naidu and many more reflect the pride of our Nation and an endless list of women continue to spread the message that ‘Women are Equal to Men in all spheres’

7. EDUCATING AGIRL CHILD IN INDIA With government initiatives and NGOs the word is spreading- the need to educate both girls and boys. In rural areas, nearly 65 % of women favour literacy to remove the gender bias.

8. THE HOPE FOR THE COUNTRY LIES IN GIVING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO BOYS AND GIRLS.

9. In urban areas, girls are deliberately not given proper education. They are educated to the bare minimum just enough to fetch a decent dowry and become part of the workforce.

10. BLEAK HORIZONS In many Indian states, most girls are not getting an opportunity to study . Boys are still given preference . Unless a male foetus is abnormal it is never aborted. Whereas a normal female foetus is suffocated and life snuffed out. …!!!

11. OR ELSE EXISTENCE OF MANKIND WOULD HAVE CEASED.

12. With the current economic status in the country undergoing changes, there needs to be a sustained awareness of bringing up the girl child with more care and love. In states of Rajasthan and Gujarat child marriages are common. Barely ten year old girls are wedded and they become pregnant by the age of 15 years. Having become a mother in the age of innocence, itself is against natural process for a young girl.

13. AM I NOT NEEDED? Doctors and the Government need to give importance to the girl child. Time and again girls have proved to be supportive of old parents and have nurtured their children into better adults. This has happened in places where girls and boys are raised together without any gender bias.

14. Various programs stressing the importance of a healthy child are of paramount importance. Only this way will the country not be bracketed with China, Bangladesh and Pakistan where the incidences of empowering the girl child are non existent.

15. DISAPPEARINGDAUGHTERS IN INDIA The dismal national FEMALE over MALE ratio of 933:1000 insinuates us to take action, raise our voices, create awareness .One out of every six girls does not live to see her 15th bday. Every sixth girl child’s death is due to gender discrimination. Condition of majority of those who survive is no good .Female mortality exceeds male mortality in 224 out of 402 districts in India I

16. India needs to protect the girls like goddess because when they grow up they do bring Lakshmi (wealth), Saraswati (knowledge), Parvati (power). Being biologically stronger then men they are the future of the country. LIVING GODDESSES LAKSHMI (WEALTH) SARASWATI (KNOWLEDGE) PARVATI (POWER)

17. SAVE THE GIRL CHILD. SAVE THE WORLD