Empowering Girls for a Healthier and Equitable Future
The Voice of Chandigarh :
CARAH Women Foundation (CWF), in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (West Zone) and the Education Department, Delhi organized a special event at Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Vikas Puri to mark the International Day of the Girl under the global theme “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis.” The event also aligned with the Government of India’s campaign “Swasth Nari: Sashakt Parivar.”
The program celebrated the strength, resilience, and leadership of girls—spotlighting their role in crisis response and nation-building.
The event was inaugurated by Col. Vinod Atri, Deputy Commissioner, MCD (West Zone), as Chief Guest, and attended by dignitaries including Dr. S.P. Aahir, Additional MHO, MCD; Dr. Sujeet Singh, Former Director, NCDC; and Dr. Sudha Singh, Deputy Director of Education, West District, along with school principals and teachers.
During his address, Col. Atri encouraged the girls to stay confident and resilient, saying, “Some of you are exceptionally talented—always bounce back from challenges. If ignored, raise your voice loud and clear. Never say you can’t do it.” He added that a world without girls would be colourless and incomplete, sharing how he nurtured courage in his own daughter from a young age.
In her welcome address, Dr. Roopa, Founder and Managing Director of CARAH Women Foundation, emphasized empowering girls through education, health, and leadership, affirming that “When girls rise, the nation shines.” Drawing on over 30 years of experience in public health, she shared her vision of CWF as a collaborative platform to strengthen government efforts in disease control, health education, climate resilience and women’s empowerment. She stressed the importance of community participation—especially by women—in preventing dengue and malaria and called for united action to build a society where every girl can learn, lead, and succeed. Her core message resonated: “A healthy girl builds a healthy nation.”
Dr. Sujeet Singh underscored the pivotal role of women in community transformation and noted that CWF, with experts from WHO, BMGF, and other national and international organizations, will support government programs focused on health, climate resilience, education, and equity. Dr. Sudha Singh appreciated the initiative and commended the efforts of the school and CWF in promoting girls’ leadership and health awareness.
Technical sessions covered key topics such as adolescent health, hygiene, mental health, gender sensitization, reproductive well-being, and community-based disease prevention, led by experts Dr. Jayanti Singh, Dr. B.N. Nagpal, Mrs. Gunamrit Kaur, Dr. Aditi Singh and Dr. (Capt.) N.R. Tuli, District Health Officer (West Zone).
An exhibition on vector-borne disease prevention and control was organized by MCD and Students enthusiastically explored displays showcasing the immature and adult stages of dengue and malaria mosquitoes, along with IEC materials for awareness and prevention.
Dr. Rajni Kant, Chair, Disease Elimination (ICMR), led an engaging health and leadership quiz and student presentations under the theme “Swasth Nari, Swasth Bharat.” The event concluded with certificate distribution recognizing student champions.
The celebration reaffirmed that empowering girls is central to building a healthier, stronger, and more equitable society.
