Nepal

'Educate daughter; save daughter' plan gains popularity in Province 2

'Educate daughter; save daughter' plan gains popularity in Province 2

By Rastriya Samachar Samiti

BIRGUNJ: The plan floated by Province 2 government to increase access of children and adolescents to education is gaining popularity in Parsa and Bara districts. The 'Girl Children Golden Plan (Balika Swarnim Yojana) put forth by Pokhariya Municipality of Parsa district under the 'Educate daughter; save daughter' programme is gradually becoming popular, shared the local people's representatives. With the enforcement of plan at different local levels in Parsa district, parents here have started registering birth of their child, sending school-age children to class which is expected to be a milestone to end social anomalies such as dowry. As this plan will be effective in ending social aberrations such as female infanticide, it is gaining popularity in other local governments. Under the golden plan, Pokhariya Municipality has arranged girl child insurance amounting to Rs 10,000 for up to 20 years of age if birth registration of the new born girl child is made in the municipality within 35 days of delivery. The accumulated insured amount will be handed over following marriage of the daughter only after reaching 20. With this, the trend of birth registration of daughters has increased gradually. 'Once we put in place this plan the birth registration of girl child has increased and there is growing public awareness to educate daughters', said deputy mayor of Pokhariya, Salma khatun. She expressed her confidence that the trend will be helpful in uprooting dowry system from the municipality.