A national policy should be formulated to guide all laws, policies and programmes directed at the girl child, a new report said Wednesday.
The report "Wings 2014; the World of India's Girls" said that at present there are several policies and programmes at the national and state level but in order to have comprehensive and coordinated action it is critical to have a targeted national policy, otherwise all efforts would remain standalone.
The government, civil society and other stakeholders must work together to ensure a safe future for girls in every part of India, NCW chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam said releasing the report.
She said: "Despite laws on girls' safety, the process of implementation is weak. The civil society, government and other stakeholders must work together to ensure a safe future for girls in every part of India."
Highlighting the increasing incidents of female foeticide, molestation and sexual abuse, Kumaramangalam said society needed to change its 'hypocritical' mindset when it comes to the safety of the girl child.
According to the report, of the 11,502 cases of child rape reported between 2011 and 2012, charge sheets were filed in only 7,539 cases and just 1,447 people were convicted.
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The report strongly recommended that a National Policy for Girl Child be formulated to guide and form all laws, policies, plans and programmes directed at the girl child.
Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla, who was also present, said the government is taking bold measures to improve the lot of India's girls.
"The report points out the rising aspirations of the girls to be full citizens and their desire to have greater control over their lives beyond the defined roles of wife and mothers - and our government is committed to the realization of these aspirations," she said.
The report shows that for the girl child, the struggle for survival begins in the womb. Even after she is (allowed to be) born, widespread neglect makes her survival precarious.
Together, these two factors ensure that we bear the tragic burden of being a nation of disappearing daughters.
The boy-girl divide over the last few decades has widened to such an extent that today, in the age group of 0-6 years, there are 7.1 million fewer girls than boys as against 4.2 million in 1991.