VISAKHAPATNAM: The literacy rate among girls in the State has decreased from 59.15 per cent to 50.43 per cent. According to District Women and Child Development Agency (DW&CDA), the literacy rate in Vizag decreased to 50.12 per cent which was 59.34 per cent in 2001. The National Girl Child Day was observed here on Tuesday, focusing on the increase in awareness among people on the inequalities faced by girl children in the society.
Addressing on the occasion, ZP chairperson Lalam Bhavani said, “In a society where women has become achievers, we still find child marriages, gender difference and school dropouts. Awareness should be created among parents on the future of the girl child”.
“In AP the sex ratio declined from 961 in 2001 to 939, while the ratio decreased to 961 from 976 in Vizag. Launching Sishugruha in 2005 to rescue unwanted and abandoned babies and to give them for adoption to a childless couple, the department so far gave 87 (34 male, 53 female) children for adoption and two applications were processed for Inter-Country adoption,” said Chinmayi Devi, the project director of Women and Child Welfare department.
“Under the supplementary nutrition programme, 1,26,509 (girls-61,825) from six months to three years and 68,913 (girls-35,158) between three and six years children are provided nutrients. Sakhi, a complaint cell launched at KGH to receive complaints from women against sexual abuse or domestic violence, received 19 cases in the last six months,” she said.