The document discusses the importance of caring for the girl child starting from pregnancy and throughout childhood. It notes that a girl's body has specific nutritional needs and requires more calcium, iron, and other nutrients during its development. Taking care of a girl child's physical, mental, and emotional health is crucial for her future health and ability to care for others. The Indian government has implemented various policies and programs aimed at improving the status of the girl child, including financial incentives for families with girls, educational scholarships, and national nutrition and health policies. However, female literacy rates in India remain among the lowest in Asia, highlighting the ongoing need to prioritize girls' education.

2. Care for Girl Child
If there was one malaise that affects
women worldwide, it would be their
tendency to place their needs and health
concerns last, keeping their family’s
needs first and foremost. But if you don’t
take care of yourself, who will? And how
will you take care of others if you are not
in the pink of health yourself? So when
it comes to girl child care, not only
should it start in the womb, but it is
important that the mother too model a
healthy regime of healthcare for herself.

3. When it comes to the facts of girl child
care, it is medically well known that a girl’s
body requires more calcium, iron and other
nutrients in its formative years, as the onset
of puberty and menopause much later in life
brings about so many hormonal and
chemical changes in a woman’s body. Unless
girl child care is taken seriously, her body
might not be able to withstand childbirth
and the many other strains that a woman’s
body has to endure in the later stage if not
taken care of properly, like osteoporosis for
instance. Even if a woman chooses not to be
a mother, her body has to be strong for the
future and this foundation is laid in her
childhood.

4. Girl child care should ideally start by
instilling in the child a healthy sense of self,
which is far removed from the images
portrayed by the media and the prejudices of
society. Looking after her mind and
exploring her inner potential and
intellectual abilities should be given as
much importance as nourishing her body
with the right nutrients and food.

5. Girl child care obviously cannot be complete
without the nutritional aspect taken care off.
Since a woman’s body needs more iron,
calcium and folate, the sources of these
should be amply included in the daily diet,
from an early age. Apart from this, do not
forget to include fresh fruits, vegetables, and
meat. Restrict the amount of salt, sugar, and
oils in order to maintain a healthy BMI.
For a more detailed nutritional guideline to girl child care, remember to
have at least 3 servings of fruit, 4 servings of vegetables, including leafy
greens, and six or more servings of grain products. A good combination
of carbohydrates and proteins along with calcium sources like milk,
cheese, yoghurt, is a must for complete girl child care, from a nutritional
standpoint.

6. It is important to remember that it is not
just because girls are the future mothers who
are responsible for bringing up healthy
children that their health has to be looked
after from an early age. Girl child care is
important, irrespective of whether the girl
will become a mother tomorrow, because it
is in the hands of society to bring up a future
generation where both boys and girls are
treated with equal care, love and affection.

7. STEPS TAKEN BY INDIAN
GOVERNMENT TO SAVE GIRL
CHILD
The Background
Historically, India has been one of the first countries to
identify the Girl Child as the focus of attention for improving
the overall social and economic status of women.
Steps
The Balika Samriddhi Yojana
in 1997 is one of the most
important initiatives of the
Government to raise overall
status of the girl child.
The Yojana aims to change
family and community
attitudes towards both, the
girl child and the mother.

8. A series of incentives were included in
the Yojana, including the likes of a gift of Rs. 500/- to
the mother on delivery of a baby girl and the provision
of an annual scholarship for the girl, with the overall
aim of improving enrolment and retention of girls in
school.
In another major initiative, in 2005, the Government of
India also announced free and reduced cost education
for girls. Those with two girls and no other children
were promised discounts of up to 50%. The program
also offered fellowships of US$ 45 per month for those
undertaking post-graduate studies.
Various State Governments have formulated State
Plans of Action for Girl Child, appropriate to the
condition prevailing in each state, prominently
including Governments of Karnataka, Madhya
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Goa.

9. Adding on, the Government had also set up policies like the National
Nutrition Policy (1993), which recognizes the stage of adolescence as a
special period for a multi-sectoral nutrition intervention for the females.
To ensure effective implementation of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic
Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994, a Central
Supervisory Board was also set-up under the chairpersonship of the
Minister-in-charge of Health and Family Welfare.
Furthermore, the National Policy on Education (1986) was formulated to
address the question of setting right the traditional gender imbalances in
education, making a strong commitment in favor of education for
women’s equality.

10. A recent news story also reported a unique campaign being carried out by
over 200 people across five northern and western states of India, under the
leadership of the well-known religious leader and social activist, Swami
Agnivesh.
Chief Minister of Haryana (India), Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hudda, also lauded
the consistent efforts of Swami Agnivesh in the Campaign Against Female
Foeticide and pledged to extend all possible infrastructural support and
assistance.
Other beneficial schemes include the Adolescent Girls Scheme, the Child
Survival and Safe Motherhood Programme, the Universal Immunization
Programme, special health check up schemes for primary school students,
introduction of health cards in selected areas, evaluation of health
programmes, the Mid-day Meal Scheme for primary school children and
nutrition education.
Reports also indicate that the government aims to eliminate all forms of child
labor by 2020.

11. The Indian government has expressed a
strong commitment
towards education for all; however, India
still has one of the lowest female literacy
rates in Asia. In 1991, less than 40 percent of
the 330 million women aged 7 and over were
literate, which means today there are over
200 million illiterate women in India.
This low level of literacy not only has a negative impact on women’s lives but also
on their families’ lives and on their country’s economic development. Numerous
studies show that illiterate women have generally high levels of maternal
mortality, poor nutritional status, low earning potential, and little autonomy
within the household. A woman’s lack ofeducation also has a negative impact on
the health and well being of her children. Forinstance, a recent survey in India
found that infant mortality was inversely related to mother’s educational level.
Additionally, the lack of an educated population can be an impediment to the
country’s economic development.

12. Education of girls and women in general has
been a high priority with the Government of
India . In the new millennium, India has
consolidated its earlier educational reforms
with increased resources and stronger policy
commitments for achieving
elementary educationfor all children,
particularly girls.
Girls Education at Elementary Level
Revised guidelines for Implementation of Kasturba Gandhi Balika
Vidyalaya (KGBV)
National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level
(NPEGEL)-Brief
Revised guidelines for implementation of National
Programme for Education of Girlsat Elementary Level (NPEGEL)