Report-The state of the girl child in India-2012 released

A report named the state of the girl child in India-2012 released on 9 October 2012 by a NGO (non-government organisation) Plan India, pinpoints the identified reasons for roadblocks in girls’ education.

The key determinants of the roadblocks found within the educationally backward families in the three states namely Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar, were the literacy status of the girls' mother, economic condition of the family and parents willingness to allow the girl child to continue their studies and gain secondary education.

The other pin-pointed reasons for this lack of secondary education and drop-outs of girl child from higher studies as per the report were- the societal reasons because of cultural limitations and backwardness, poor infrastructural facilities (as in lack of sanitation facilities, drinking water and space within the classroom), safety concerns due to the long distance in between the place or residence and secondary school (remoteness).

The report presented after interviewing the girls by the NGO Plan India 43 percent of the girls got married before 18 years of age, the girls reported to be underweight reached a mark of fifty percent, thirty three percent were left undernourished, fifty six percent of them were anemic, only thirty percent of the girls were able to afford their deliveries in hospitals. The report also cleared that fifty even percent girls dropped the school even before tenth class.

Govind Nihalani, the chairperson of Plan India’s governing body informed that because I am a girl is a global campaign designed and launched by the organization to fight against gender inequality to lift millions of girls out from poverty providing them opportunities to reach the level of their potential and to provide them their rights.