Daughters’ Club

Summary

Innovation : To create a club of parents who have daughters in every ward/village.

Duration : Monthly

Location : Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh

Key Stakeholders : District Collector, Anganwadi Workers, Anganwadi Supervisors, Child Development Programme Officers, District Women’s Empowerment Office, District Programme Officers, Other Government Departments, Adolescent Girls, Parents of Daughters.

Brief Description

District Administration initiated a programme called ‘Daughters’ Club’ under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) to form an association of parents, who (a) have daughters and (b) do not plan to have additional children. Initially, Anganwadi Workers collected data and formed a group of parents according to this criteria. The Administration acknowledges members of the Club with a ‘Gourav Patra’ and ‘Tulsi Pot’ in public programmes /events in recognition of their promotion of the Girl Child.

Members of the Club undertake steps to motivate the public to save, educate and promote the Girl Child’s safety and health to create a positive social environment for her development, in accordance with the tenets of BBBP. Club Members reinforce the importance of having a daughter(s) by putting up name plates containing their daughters’ names on the doors of their homes. These households have been promoting and valuing the Girl Child by generating considerable and impactful awareness.

Factors Contributing to Success

The success of this initiative is attributed to the encouraging guidance of the District Collector and diligence of Anganwadi Workers, Anganwadi Supervisors, Child Development Programme Officers, District Women’s Empowerment Office, District Programme Officers and other relevant Departments which has resulted in ‘Daughters’ Clubs’ being a very positive community owned initiative.

Outcome, Benefits and Impact

Until 2018, 883 Daughters Club have been established and over 1750 participants have availed the benefits of this initiative. The major outcome of creating a Daughter’s Club has been sharp community awareness generation regarding Child Sex Ratio and Sex Ratio at Birth. This awareness has also heightened action towards girls’ safety, health and education as well as a growing respectful social environment.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Patriarchy is a primary challenge. The negative outlook towards the Girl Child is due to generations that have passed down a mindset that discriminates between girls and boys.

The way forward in the future to change mindsets is through regular awareness and advocacy campaigns under BBBP. The training of stakeholders at the grass-roots level results in the practice of good ideas in the field. At the end of the day, it boils down to teamwork and commitment. The District Administration’s proactive lead in growing support for the Girl Child, is particularly in the areas of safety, health, education and the promotion of a respectful social environment for girls and women.

Source:: Innovations under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao