Celebration Of Beti Janam

Summary

Innovation : To celebrate, appreciate and value the birth of girls

Duration : 2018 Onwards

Location : Upper Siang, Arunachal Pradesh

Key Stakeholders : District Administration, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Accredited Social Health Activists, Parents of Daughters, Doctors, Nurses, Hospital Staf.

Brief Description

Being a tribal and mountainous region, Upper Siang District has a very low population of 33,000. It is a region endowed with rich natural resources and biodiversity, deep gorges and fast flowing streams and rivulets, which form the tributaries of the mighty Siang River.

It is important to sensitize each inhabitant of the District of Upper Siang about the value of the Girl Child and to forward the message of the BBBP scheme. In order to create awareness among the people, the District Administration organizes celebrations for every Girl Child born in the District. The aim of this activity is to celebrate and generate awareness about the preciousness of the Girl Child while providing a sense of pride and honour to her parents.

This initiative is a huge success and has spread to every corner of this District. Hospital staff informs the District Administration about the birth of a Girl Child and the Administration immediately reaches the parents to distribute gifts, t-shirts, sweets and baby kits. The kit comprises items related to the requirement of newly born girls.

Factors contributing to success

The Department of Health & Family Welfare’s active participation in making this initiative possible within the 24 hours of the birth of a Girl Child in the hospital is commendable, which is a key factor contributing to the success of this activity.

Outcome, Benefits Impact

Since the beginning of this year, over 30 girls have been felicitated. This activity is helping change the minds of people and creating a positive attitude towards the Girl Child in the District. The rates of institutional deliveries have increased helping them achieve one of the many goals of BBBP.

Challenges and Future Prospects

As Upper Siang District is mountainous and located in the Indo-China border, the biggest challenge District Administration faces is to reach out to every Girl Child born. Lack of rudimentary transportation facilities and communication hamper institutional deliveries in such areas.

Source: Innovations under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao