BETI BACHAO, BETI PADHAO

(A DIPR feature)

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (Save the girl child, educate the girl child) is a scheme by the Government of India aimed at ensuring survival, protection, education and participation of the girl child. It was launched on 13th October, 2015 in Nagaland by the then Chief Minister, T.R. Zeliang. The Nagaland State Social Welfare Board is the implementing agency of BBBP state level and the State Resource Centre for Women is the Project Management Unit (PMU). At the district level it is implemented by the District Administration through the District Level Centre for Women, Mahila Shakti Kendra in the Multi- Sectoral Action districts- Mon, Wokha, Mokokchung, Peren, Phek, Longleng and Tuensang, and Advocacy and Media Plan districts- Kohima, Zunheboto, Dimapur and Kiphire.

Right to Education is recognized as a basic human right by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 45 of the Indian Constitution also recognizes the right to free and compulsory education up-to the age of 14 years. According to the 2011 census, the literacy rate for Nagaland is 79.55% and the literacy rate for females and males are 76.11% and 82.75% respectively. These statistics shows that male literacy rates are higher ascompared to females; one of the primary factors attributing to this is, because, females are regarded as temporary members of the family, hence, investment in girls are seen as unnecessary. On account of this, particularly in the rural areas, parents prefer to send their male children to private schools which are deemed to provide quality education while the female children are sent to government schools which provide free schooling but are often limited by infrastructure and resources.

Being denied quality education, most girls often drop out of school at a young age, further leading to the subordination of their role in the family and in the society. To empower these girls, focus is given on skill development, whereby, this would enable economic participation and empowerment. The very core of the BBBP scheme is aimed at providing a better quality of life for the girl child and it is through education or vocational training that this objective can be effectively achieved.

Various studies have shown that providing quality education and skill development training to girls help in the overall development of the society at large and the nation in general. As it will not only helpin procuring employment leading to financial independencebut it would also lead to participation in the public sphere which in turn will raise their status in the family and in the society as well. As per the report of the “Annual Employment Review: 2019- 2020” by the Directorate of Employment, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Nagaland, the following statistics are given in regard to the employment of Naga women in the public and private sector.

WOMEN EMPLOYMENT IN PUBLIC & PRIVATE SECTOR

AS ON 31st MARCH,2020

TABLE – 8

WOMEN EMPLOYMENT IN DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF PUBLIC SECTOR AND

LARGER & SMALLER ESTABLISHMENTS IN PRIVATE SECTOR

AS ON 31st MARCH,2020

TABLE – 9

WOMEN EMPLOYMENT IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS OF THE STATE

AS ON 31st MARCH,2020

TABLE – 10

When it comes to the BBBP scheme, Nagaland has fared quite well in its implementation. It has been awarded a national award for best performing state under BBBP on 24th January, 2019. Wokha district has also received two national awards- “Effective Community Engagement” on 24th January, 2019 and on 6th September, 2019 it was amongst the ten districts in India felicitated for undertaking “Good work in generating awareness and outreach activities.” The BBBP implementing agencies in Nagaland have worked extensively in ensuring that the welfare of the Girl Child is not compromised in the face of the societal gender roles and norms, we can also confidently say that BBBP has been accepted as a gender friendly scheme. However, there is still so much to be done and the responsibility lies in each and everyone one of us to accept the role of the Girl Child in the society as a pivotal one.

                                                                                                (Source: SRCW)