The official launching of #Fight4theFoetus Campaign to take placeon the 11th of October 2015, the International Day of the Girl Child
The official launching of
the nationwide campaign ‘Fight4theFoetus’ against female foeticide is proposed
to coincide with the International Day of the Girl Child, on the 11th
of October, 2015. This day was selected
as the most appropriate day because it is on that day that the world celebrates
the girl child and declares aloud that all types of gender injustice and gender
inequality should end.
Resolution No. 66/170 to
declare 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child was adopted by the
United Nations General Assembly on December 19, 2011, to recognize the rights
of the girls and help them meet the unique challenges they face around the
world. This decision was in recognition
of the fact that empowerment of and investment in girls is critical for the
achievement of millennium development goals.
The observation of the
International Day encourages more opportunities for girls and is intended to increase
awareness of gender inequality faced by girls.
Right to education and health, protection from discrimination and
violence and legal rights are some of the focus points. October 11, 2012, was
the first Day of the Girl Child.
The resolution states that
the International Day of the Girl Child
recognizes “the empowerment of and investment in girls, which are critical for
economic growth, the achievement of all Millennium Development Goals, including
the eradication of poverty and extreme poverty, as well as the meaningful
participation of girls in decisions that affect them, are key in breaking the
cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full
and effective enjoyment of their human rights”
Though the proposal for
the observance of International Day of the Girl Child was formally made as a
resolution sponsored by Ms. Rona Ambrose, Canada's Minister for the Status of
Women, in 2011, the basic groundwork goes back to the Fourth World Conference
on Women in September, 1995, which had adopted the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for action for better treatment of women and girls. The 50th session of the General
Assembly of the United Nations endorsed this declaration. The declaration contained the following
important clauses:
“15. Equal rights, opportunities and access to
resources, equal sharing of responsibilities for the family by men and women,
and a harmonious partnership between them are critical to their well-being and
that of their families as well as to the consolidation of democracy”
23. Ensure the full
enjoyment by women and the girl child of all human rights and fundamental
freedoms and take effective action against violations of these rights and
freedoms;
24. Take all necessary
measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and the girl
child and remove all obstacles to gender equality and the advancement and
empowerment of women;”
29. Prevent and eliminate
all forms of violence against women and girls;
31. Promote and protect
all human rights of women and girls;”
Each year the
International Day of the Girl Child has a theme. The first theme, in 2012, was “ending child
marriage", the second, in 2013, was "innovating for girl's
education", and the third, in 2014, was "Empowering Adolescent Girls:
Ending the Cycle of Violence."
NGOs and official and
non-official welfare agencies around the world celebrate the day with
innovative programmes for the betterment of the weaker sex. It is
on that day that the issues connected with gender discrimination are
highlighted and solutions discussed.
That is why, this day, October 11, was chosen to be day on which
Fight4theFoetus Campaign is officially launched.
All types of
discrimination against the girl child, including the prenatal slaughter through
foeticide and post-natal infanticide, the denial of education to the young
girls, the premature and forced marriage, the exclusion from share in family
property, the barring from religious rites, the discouragement of remarriage
after the death of her husband and all such forms of gender injustice must end.
Let us all join the fight
for the rights of the girl child and the rights of the unborn foetus.
++++ Join Us on
FaceBook : https://www.facebook.com/fight4foetusTwitter: https://twitter.com/fight4thefoetusGoogle Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/105760359364894618329/postsYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChtOawtBgxuhFKCpOayHkxwBlog: http://fight4thefoetus.blogspot.in/Website: http://fight4thefoetus.org/