Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

The Ministry of Women and Child Development shared with the Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women that in the initial stages of the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ initiative, there was a shortfall in utilizing the funds. This was largely attributed to insufficient awareness and information about the scheme’s objectives and benefits.

About Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao

In 2011, the Census data revealed a worrying trend: a significant decrease in the Child Sex Ratio (CSR) for ages 0-6, hitting a concerning low of 918.
This decline in CSR is a clear sign of women facing disempowerment. It not only points towards pre-birth discrimination, seen through biased gender selection before birth, but also highlights post-birth discrimination against girls, affecting their health, nutrition, and education.
A major reason behind this alarming trend is the low Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB).
Social norms that favor boys over girls, coupled with the easy access, affordability, and misuse of diagnostic tools, have contributed significantly to the declining CSR.
Deep-rooted societal and religious biases, along with a preference for sons and discrimination against daughters, have worsened the situation.
Recognizing the urgent need for coordinated action to ensure the survival, protection, and empowerment of girls, the Government launched the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) initiative on January 22, 2015, in Panipat, Haryana.
BBBP is a joint effort involving the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, and Human Resource Development, aiming to address these pressing issues.

Objectives

Prevention of gender-biased sex-selective elimination.
Ensuring survival & protection of the girl child.
Ensuring education and participation of the girl child.
Protecting rights of Girl children.

Components

We launched a nationwide campaign called Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, which is all about celebrating and supporting our girls, ensuring they get the education they deserve.
Our goal is simple: we want every girl to be born into a world where she’s loved, nurtured, and given the opportunity to thrive through education. We believe that every girl should have the same rights and opportunities as boys.
To spread the message far and wide, we’re using a comprehensive approach that involves all forms of media. From TV ads to social media campaigns, we’re making sure everyone knows about the importance of this issue.
In certain districts where gender discrimination is particularly critical, we’re implementing a multi-sectoral intervention. This means we’re working across different sectors like health, education, and welfare to address the problem at its roots.
Through this intervention, we’re aiming to bring about measurable changes in these districts. By setting clear goals and indicators, we’re making sure that everyone involved knows what success looks like and can work together to achieve it.

Strategies

Implement a sustained Social Mobilization and Communication Campaign to create equal value for the girl child & promote her education.
Place the issue of decline in CSR/SRB in public discourse, improvement of which would be a indicator for good governance.
Focus on Gender Critical Districts and Cities low on CSR for intensive & integrated action.
Adopt Innovative Interventions/Actions by the districts as per their local needs, context and sensibilities.
Mobilize & Train Panchayati Raj Institutions/Urban local bodies/ Grassroot workers as catalysts for social change, in partnership with local community/women’s/youth groups.
Engage with Communities to challenge gender stereotypes and social norms.
Ensure service delivery structures/schemes & programmes are sufficiently responsive to issues of gender and children’s rights.
Enable Inter-sectoral and inter-institutional convergence at District/Block/Grassroot levels.

Monitorable Targets

Enhance the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) by a significant 2-point increase within a year in specific districts where gender imbalances are critical.
Facilitate a yearly increase of at least 1.5% in Institutional Deliveries to ensure safer childbirth practices.
Promote early antenatal care (ANC) registration in the first trimester with a targeted annual increase of at least 1%.
Boost the enrollment of girls in secondary education to a commendable 82% by the academic year 2018-19.
Install functional toilets exclusively for girls in every school within selected districts, ensuring their dignity and sanitation needs are met.
Enhance the nutritional well-being of girls under five years old by reducing the prevalence of underweight and anemia.

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