Breakthrough India, a rights-based organisation, is here with a video that will compel fathers to rethink the future of their daughters.
Titled Ek Pita Ka Khat, the two-minute video aligns with the government’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative, and will be launched on social media platforms and a few TV channels on September 22 (National Daughter’s Day).
This two-minute video is a letter from wrestler Sakshi Malik’s father, who stood by her against all odds, and to all fathers who consider their daughters any less than sons.
“There are many barriers that decide a girl’s fate. And when we thought about addressing these, we decided to bring fathers into the conversation,” says the brainchild behind the idea, Sohini Bhattacharya, CEO and president of Breakthrough India.
“Though mother plays a huge role in a girl’s life and she is the one who is blamed if something goes wrong with her, we wanted to take the burden of responsibility off from the mother’s shoulders. It’s a step to shift the accountability to fathers so that mothers and daughters can lead a better life.”
Sukhbir Malik appeals to all fathers to not think of their daughters as paraya dhan – belonging to their marital home, and allow them to write their future.
Bhattacharya, who has been working for a better tomorrow for women and girl child for over 25 years, says, “Gone are the days when only sons were considered as bread earners and the ones who’d look after their parents. Even girls, when given the chance, can do this.
But a lot of people have not risen above these notions. When we approached her with this idea, Sakshi and her father were more than happy to contribute for it.” She adds that wider dissemination of the video can happen only if government takes it up.
Credited with making famous campaign videos such as Ring the Bell (against domestic violence) and Share Your Story (prevent sexual harassment), the NGO has been working to end violence against women and girls in Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
“Our programme Taaron Ki Toli works towards bringing gender equality into government school classrooms at an age when concepts of identity are still being formed. We have seen changes happening in girls and their brothers, who start speaking for their siblings,” Bhattacharya informs.