Ministry spread awareness about girl child

With the International Day of the Girl Child being around the corner, a Christian ministry is encouraging churches to step up efforts to make people realise the need to save the girl child.

"We as a church in India have a very unique role to play with regard to this issue by helping change the mindset of people towards girl children," says Raaj Mondol of Salt Initiatives.

"William Carey spoke out and tirelessly worked against the cruel practice of 'sati' in his time and was instrumental in enforcing a ban on it. We too need to respond to this silent genocide of girls in our time," he adds.

With a vision to ensure dignity and equality of women and girl children, Salt Initiatives has initiated the 'let her live' campaign that will also highlight the issue of female foeticide and infanticide.

The ministry's programmes include campaigns and awareness through website www.letherlive.in, training and community based events for churches, youth and general community. The website in fact encourages visitors to sign a pledge that opposes dowry, sex-determination tests and violence on girls and women.

"The women often suffer in silence. Issue of shame and taboo hinders them from reporting such matters to others," says Mandol.

"Therefore as church we need to demonstrate respect and value for girls and women. We must celebrate womanhood as a gift of God and an integral aspect of the character of our God who made both male and female in his own image."

This year marks the UN's first-ever International Day of the Girl Child, which will be commemorated on October 11. The day promotes girls' rights and highlights gender inequalities and promotes equal treatment and opportunities for girls around the world in areas such as law, nutrition, health care, education, training, and freedom from violence and abuse.

According to the data of the 2011 Census of India, there are 914 female children to every 1000 male children under 6 years age. The child sex ratio has been showing alarming decline by dropping 18 points from 945 in 1991 to 927 in 2001 and further drop of 13 points to 914 in 2011.

In the rural areas and among the poorer sections of society female infanticide through poisoning, suffocation or abandonment is common.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has termed the practice of female foeticide and infanticide in India a "national shame".