Empowering Dreams, Inspiring Equality

National Girl Child Day serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of empowering girls and fostering gender equity. It is a day to recognise their potential and the unique contributions they make to society.

Through this celebration, we reaffirm our commitment to providing every girl with the opportunity to learn and reach their true potential.

This day celebration is an opportunity to raise awareness about the rights of girls and ensure they are provided with equal opportunities and support, free from gender biases.
The day also seeks to highlight the inequalities faced by girls, promote education for them and encourage society to value and respect girls as equals.

A key focus is on changing societal attitudes towards girls, addressing issues like female foeticide, raising awareness about the declining sex ratio and fostering a more inclusive and equitable environment for the girl child.

Ensuring the holistic growth of girls is crucial not only for their individual well-being but also for the overall advancement of society. In particular, recognizing and upholding the rights and opportunities of girls is essential for building a more equitable future.

Furthermore, the legal measures to empower and protect the girl child includes several key initiatives. Through various initiatives, policies, and awareness campaigns.

On the occasion of National Girl Child Day 2025, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Directorate of Women Affairs, Bangladesh Shishu Academy and National Girl Child Advocacy Forum jointly celebrated National Girl Child Day-2025.

Adviser to the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Sharmeen Soneya Murshid, urged communities to work alongside the government to ensure the safety of girls.

She added that the primary responsibility of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs should be to ensure the protection and security of girls.

She made these comments on Wednesday at an event organized to celebrate National Girl Child Day 2025. The event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Department of Women Affairs, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, and the National Girl Child Advocacy Forum.

"We are working to establish a framework for this and trying to reach girls as quickly as possible. We are extending our staff to the grassroots level so they can provide assistance to children within 24 hours if they face any danger," she said.

She added, "I dream that one day Bangladesh will truly be for children. I believe when our girls, our children, can stand with their heads held high, the entire nation stands tall."

The day's celebrations began at 8:30am with a rally starting from Dhaka University's Swimming Pool Gate (adjacent to Doel Chattar). The rally was inaugurated by Adviser Sharmeen Soneya Murshid of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. The rally concluded at Bangladesh Shishu Academy.

This was followed by a discussion session, an awards ceremony, and a cultural programme at the Bangladesh Shishu Academy auditorium.

The event was chaired by Mamtaz Ahmed, senior secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.

The event was inaugurated with a screening of a documentary titled "We build dreams; We fight with courage." The welcome address was delivered by Shaheen Akhter Dolly, vice-president of the National Girl Child Advocacy Forum. Two children then shared their perspectives.

Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar argued that the deprivation and neglect of women have continued for generations and have become ingrained in our blood, forming part of the culture.

He further said that in our country too, women and girls face "discrimination and neglect" in various ways.

"This needs to end from childhood. We must understand that girls are not a burden on society in any way. They are just as important as boys. Given the opportunity, our girls can become educated, capable, and earning members of society. They too can conquer the world. Therefore, we must create opportunities for them," he added.

Mamtaz Ahmed emphasized the need to create an environment where girls and boys can grow up on equal footing. She further emphasized the need to pay "special attention" to girls, citing that they are still lagging behind in many ways, focusing particularly on preventing violence against girls and child marriage.