With the National Girl Child Day fast approaching on January 24, concerns over their safety are growing amid escalating violence against them.
The latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data available for 2022 reveals that 55 girls have been killed in Karnataka and over 2,300 minor girls have been reported raped under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act; 1,000 girls have fallen victim to sexual
harassment.
On Friday, Child Rights and You (CRY) in the city released a status report analysing various government data sources, which reveal a 99% enrollment of girl children at the elementary school level.
But enrollment at secondary and higher secondary levels stand, respectively, at 67% and 44%, indicating that half of the girls enrolling at the elementary level either drop out or discontinue studying.
Meanwhile, numbers from National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) for 2019-21 show 21% of women have been married before their 18th year and over 50%, between ages 15 and 19, in the state are anemic.
John Roberts, CRY’s Regional Director for the South, said girl children in the state face serious issues in education, protection, health, and nutrition. “Despite proactive measures by successive governments, data shows a need for collective action,” he said.
The government’s role is vital in prioritising girl child-centric policies, strategic resource allocation, and ensuring effective policy and programme.
Published 19 January 2024, 21:30 IST