Discriminatory mentality towards the girl child has to be fought against and changed with determination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, describing it as everyone's "social, national and human responsibility".
He urged women sarpanchs to play an important role in preventing female foeticides.
Addressing a national convention of women sarpanchs on the occasion of International Woman's Day here, Modi said the discriminatory mentality towards daughters should change, as it impedes society's progress.
"The discriminatory mentality has to be fought and changed with determination," he said.
He exhorted around 6,000 women sarpanchs from across the country, who attended the convention, to ensure that girls in their respective villages are sent to school.
"I would request sarpanch women to ensure that girls also go to schools. This does not need budget. Government has made schools, and a village has to make no special allocation. One only has to see who all have not sent their girls to schools," he said.
He said "the change is happening. Our daughters won Olympic Gold medals and made us proud. In Board exams, only girls are seen on top of the list."
Still, "A lot needs to be done in the country towards 'beti bachao, beti padhao' (save and educate girl child)," Modi said.
"At least in the villages where the sarpanch is a woman, we should have no cases of female foeticide. If a sarpanch decides to create awareness, she can achieve that," he said.
"Against every 1,000 men, there are 800, 850, 900 women (in different states). If such an imbalance is created in society, how will it progress? It is society's responsibility, and women sarpanch can possibly be more successful in changing the social mindset," he said at Swachh Shakti 2017 programme held at Mahatma Mandir here.
"Women sarpanch can probably be more successful in protecting girl child and foetus. Women have proven their capability. They have turned divine whatever opportunity they have got. Therefore, 'beti bachao' is our social, national, human responsibility," he said.
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