Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) The campaign against female foeticide in the capital’s high risk areas got a 100,000 euro boost with the German embassy joining hands with the Centre for Social Research (CSR), an organisation working for women empowerment and welfare.

CSR Tuesday launched its ‘Meri Beti Meri Shakti’ campaign in Kishangarh village near Vasant Kunj in south Delhi by honouring 50 mothers who had to face difficulties in their families after giving birth to a girl child.

According to CSR, south west district which includes Vasant Kunj area, has one of the worst sex ratios in all the districts of the capital with only 836 girls per 1,000 boys. Delhi’s sex ratio is marginally better at 866 girls per 1,000 boys.

National Commission for Women chairman and CSR director, Ranjana Kumari claimed that it was very important to address the situation.

“Despite massive economic growth in Delhi there has been little or no change in the mindset of a majority of Delhi’s population. The preference for boys will push Delhi to the brink of social and law order challenge in the times to come,” she claimed.

“We are hopeful that with help from the German embassy, we will be able to take the programme to all nooks and corners of the city and address this problem,” Kumari added.

German ambassador Cord Meier-Koldt said Germany was “happy to be part of a programme which addresses an important gender issue in India”.

“Our aid to this programme is a small commitment from the German government to forward its agenda of inclusive growth in its partner countries and we are hopeful that the programme will set a roadmap for addressing the problem,” he added.

The German embassy in Delhi has decided to provide a 1 lakh euro aid to the programme.

The launch, organised in the village ‘choupal’, drew a lot of women and girls from the village who presented poems and songs about female foeticide and women empowerment.

Veteran social worker from the village, Sumitra Devi, urged the women to realise their importance to the family and society, claiming that “women are necessary for the existence of the society and world.”