The Odisha government has introduced several initiatives under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme to address gender imbalance, prevent child marriages, combat sex selection, and empower adolescent girls. These schemes include “Nirbhaya Kadhi” (Fearless Bud), “Mo Gelha Jiya” (My Dear Daughter), “Kalpana Avijan,” “Swarna Kalika,” and “Veerangana Yojana.”
Empowering Adolescent Girls Through State Initiatives
1. Nirbhaya Kadhi & Mo Gelha Jiya (Ganjam District)
These initiatives focus on empowering adolescent girls to reject child marriage and promote gender equality. The Nirbhaya Kadhi scheme covers 183,933 adolescent girls across 3,309 villages in Ganjam district through awareness programs.
Meanwhile, the Mo Gelha Jiya scheme actively combats sex selection and female foeticide. Due to these efforts, Ganjam district was declared child marriage-free on January 3, 2022. From 2019 to October 2024, authorities successfully prevented 953 child marriages, and 450,000 students across 3,614 government schools publicly pledged against child marriage.
2. Kalpana Avijan (Dhenkanal District)
This initiative tracks and monitors adolescent girls aged 10-19 years to prevent child marriages through multi-level committees. Since 2019, 343 child marriages have been prevented, and 1,13,515 adolescent girls have been enrolled under this program. Additionally, 4,45,000 students from 3,425 schools took a public oath against child marriage.
As part of International Girl Child Week 2024, officials and social workers were honored for their efforts in child protection and marriage prevention.
3. Swarna Kalika (Keonjhar District)
Through the Swarna Kalika initiative, awareness campaigns have been conducted across Keonjhar district to highlight the dangers of child marriage. Over 2,000 stakeholders have participated in these campaigns, leading to a 50% reduction in child marriages by 2024. The initiative also promoted the ADVIKA app to further awareness and intervention efforts.
4. Veerangana Yojana (Deogarh District)
With increasing crimes against women and girls, the Veerangana Yojana was introduced to equip adolescent girls with martial arts and self-defense training. A 30-day training camp was organized in Deogarh with the support of the State KUDO Association of Odisha. Over 500 adolescent girls, 300 parents and teachers, and 50 female master trainers participated in the program. These trainers later conducted sessions in 300 rural schools, reaching 6,000 girl students.
This initiative gained widespread recognition, earning the prestigious SKOCH Award as a semi-finalist and institutionalization in many educational institutions.
Conclusion
These initiatives reflect Odisha’s commitment to enhancing the safety, education, and empowerment of adolescent girls. By leveraging community participation, awareness campaigns, and targeted interventions, the state is making significant strides toward gender equality and child protection.
