1. The document discusses various issues facing girl children in India such as bias against the girl child from birth, high mortality rates for girls, lack of access to education and nutrition, child marriage, and physical and sexual abuse. 2. Statistics show that girls have lower life expectancy and higher mortality rates than boys. Many girls drop out of school due to expectations to help with domestic work and child marriage. 3. Girls face health issues such as malnutrition, teenage pregnancy, and unsafe abortions due to lack of autonomy over their bodies. They also face psychological trauma from domestic violence and sexual abuse.

1. Bias Against Girl Child Dr Vibhuti Patel, Reader, Centre for Wo men’s Studies , Department of Economics, Univesity of Mumbai, Kalina, Santacruz(E), Mumbai-400098. Phone-26527956,57,Ext.553, Resi-26770227 Fax- 26528198 E mail- [email_address] Member Secretary, Women Development Cell University of Mumbai

2. Girl Child- Lara Jesani Some one in the crowd of a hundred, there is a battered girl Someone in the crowd of a hundred is a widely relishing boy Even if you don't believe this theory You are supposed to know, Every second of an hour A girl is battered sore. Some girls in crowd of hundred Are killed as soon as they are born No one cares for their future For their lives are only torn. You might not believe me surely You might as well be informed A boy is given more importance Than a girl when they are born. One girl in crowd of a hundred Is respected when she is at birth You don't need to believe what I say But you must surely be shown How for a ninety nine girls The future of one boy is glown One girl in the crowd of a hundred Is not a victim of this injustice But all in the crowd of a hundred The honour of girls in all ways dismiss.

4. UNICEF Report, 2004 State of World Children 65 million girls are out of school globally. Nearly 1/10 of them are in India. Health challenges concerning a girl child cover mortality, morbidity, nutritional status and reproductive health and linked to these are environmental degradations, violence and occupational hazards, all of which have implications for her health status. It is intricately related to the socio-economic status of the households to which she belongs.

6. Competing Demands Due to the competing demands on their time and energy as well as their socialization, girls tend to neglect their health. The lesser access to food coupled with neglect invariably leads to a poor nutritional status and a state of ill health for most of the girls. Changing determinants in the survival struggles of girls have created an alarming situation .

9. Reasons for Death of Girls Pneumonia, Non Pregnancy Anaemia and Gastroenteritis take heavy toll of female infants in the age group of 0-4 years. While in 5-14 age group of girls, the death rate in percentage terms reduces drastically, still 9.5 % deaths due to Pneumonia and 15.8 % deaths due to Gastroenteritis demand immediate intervention.

22. Women’s Movement Demands Juvenile Justice (care and Protection of Children) Act -Integrated Child Development Scheme -Establishment of Childline Service, a 24 hour phone service for girl children on the streets for proper counselling and information about shelter homes, NGOs, hospitals. Special emphasis on girl’s education -National Commission for Children, special mandate for girls.

23. Current Concerns National Nutrition Mission to provide supplements to adolescent girls and expectant mothers -Special scheme to target quality of life of adolescent girls Policy on HIV/AIDS keeping pace with new forms of sexual exploitation of girls, child abuse, proliferation of drugs and trafficking of children .

24. Daughter is not for slaughter Let the girls bloom Thank You