NEW DELHI, Mar 1:
Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhrial ‘Nishank’ has said that to take forward the momentum of empowerment of girls and women through education, the Ministry of HRD will celebrate the International Women’s Day in schools and colleges across the country.
He further said that the Government has launched a special theme-based focused campaign from March 1-7 in the run up to the International Women’s Day on March 8 this year with Education being the theme on March 1.
Mr Pokhriyal further said that as a tribute to women, the celebration by HRD Ministry will continue throughout the year. The HRD Minister has said that the Government has taken several game changing initiatives since 2014 for the education of the girl child.
This is one of the reasons for the success of the scheme of Beti Bachao Padhao whereby the Gross Enrolment Ratio of girls across all levels of education is now higher than boys.
At elementary level, GER is 94.32 per cent as against 89.28 per cent for boys. At Secondary level, it is 81.32 per cent as compared to 78 per cent. He has said that the HRD Ministry has decided to take further various activities to encourage female students to excel in their lives and establish that their gender is never a hindrance to excellence.
UGC will conduct round table discussions and take up several other programmes on women empowerment on various themes in about 40 Central Universities around the country among several other activities to be taken up.
He exhorted the educational institutions to focus on women achievers during classroom instruction.
Mr Pokhriyal informed that to nurture the leadership qualities and confidence in girl students, the Ministry has decided to designate a girl student as class monitor ”Main Hoon Monitor” for at least half of the academic school session of the year 2020-21 and beyond.
He further informed that a Self-Defence Olympiad will be organised for girls at school level on the lines of Yoga Olympiad. To ensure safety and security of girls, Self defence training is imparted to girls of class VI to XII belonging to Government Schools.
The Culture and Theatre Clubs in Colleges and Universities will be encouraged to organise nukkad natak, mime shows etc shows on women’s issues. The Minister also emphasised that all Colleges and Universities will prominently display Women Helpline Numbers at different places on their respective campuses.
The minister said that to motivate girl students, special morning assemblies will be organised once a week in schools throughout the year. He added that in these assemblies, talks on women achievers in different fields, role play, thought of the day, group songs on women empowerment, awards or recognition to the girl students who have performed well in different fields such as academics, sports, dance, music, arts, social service and novel areas will be included.
He informed that the schools are also being requested to honor women faculty members and staff for their distinguished service for the organization. Educational institutions will also organize essay writing contests on prominent/inspirational women of the district where they are located.
He added that in higher educational institutions, the Gender Studies Cells in coordination with UGC will conduct seminars on gender bias and stereotyping, gender equality and women’s right. Ministry of HRD is continuously working to provide secure and conducive environment for girls’ education under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao movement of the Union Government.
To encourage enrollment of girl students in the schools, Ministry of HRD constructed gender segregated toilets in elementary and secondary schools within one year from 15.08.2014 to 15.08.2015 under Swachh Vidyalaya initiative. Now all government schools have gender segregated toilets for girls and boys.
Beside this Ministry of HRD has taken various steps to promote education among girls, according to a statement here on Sunday. (UNI)
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