#Shakti4Beti –campaign to empower girl child

Need to go beyond #BetiBachaoBetiPadhao, 

say communication activists

MUMBAI/BENGALURU, June 15: With #Shakti4Beti as theme  focusing on empowering the girl child, a social communication campaign has been launched.

In an annual event, National communicators body Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) observes July 1 – the official birth anniversary of Indo-US astronaut late Kalpana Chawla – as the Daughters’ Day to draw the attention of the society on issues related to the girl child.

A skit focusing on Daughers being enacted at SIMSR, Mumbai, last July

 “We are inspired by the government’s campaign #BetiBachaoBetiPadhao,” said PRCI governing council chairman B N Kumar. “PRCI is keen that the society goes beyond protecting and educating the girl child. As a democratic, civilized society we must empower the girl child so that she plays a niche role in the nation building activities, Kumar, who is also a social communication activist, said.

“A girl child in India continues to be given a raw treatment,” said PRCI chief mentor and chairman emeritus M B Jayaram. “Be it in rural areas, agriculture fields or even in places of work and bollywood, women have been complaining of discrimination,” he said and stressed that women deserve level playing field.

“How can we even imagine the New India-2022 story without the active involvement of daughters,” asked educationist and chairperson of PRCI’s youth wing Young Communicators Club Geetha Shankar. Enough has been said and written about girls and boys working as equals, but precious little has been done, she said and stressed: “Women do not crave for any favours. Please do not put any obstacles in our growth,” she said.

...at Bengaluru, last year

The campaign launched today will culminate around July 1. Apart from holding events around #Shakti4Beti or #EmpoweringDaughter, PRCI and YCC will hold a series of activities across its chapters in various cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kochi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Chandigarh mobilizing communication students from universities and colleges to do the messaging.

Contests in debates, short films, photography, poster design, and street play will be held apart from social media campaigns. An online petition addressed to the President of India, Women and Child Welfare Minister and the National Women’s Rights Commission will be launched requesting listing out an agenda towards ensuring a level playing field for the girl child, PRCI said.

Snapshot of Daughters' Day '17 event at Kochi