Village in Shirur proudly displays girls' names at entrance of homes

PUNE: Payal Rakshe can barely hide her joy looking at her name on the entrance of her house.

"It's a unique feeling as we have never seen a girl's name on name plates in village houses. It makes me proud," said the std XII student from Ranjangaon Sandas village in Shirur taluka, nearly 35km from here.

The unique campaign has been launched in around 14 villages near Ranjangaon Sandas to ensure identity of hundreds of girls like Payal. Close to 5,000 houses in these villages now have doors with plates prominently carrying names of girls in the families.

"It's a small gesture, but gives us recognition and identity. Usually, girls in villages are considered as 'guests' in families as they are to be married off on attaining the marriageable age. The move to dedicate the name plates to the girls can help change this age-old narrative," Payal said.

"The idea is to make people aware about the importance of a girl child. We want to promote literacy among girls," said zilla parishad member Rekha Bandal, the brain behind the campaign. "The idea is to boost the government's Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao slogan," she said.

The 2011 Census put the child sex ratio at birth (number of females born per 1,000 male) of Shirur taluka at 845. This is less than the national average of 916 and Pune's 873.

Nikita Gaware, a student from Vitthalwadi village, said, "Such campaigns should not be confined to one taluka. It should be implemented in other parts of the state as well. Every year, thousands of domestic violence cases are reported across the state. It is important to create awareness among people about girls and their issues."

Several villagers said the girls were happy with the move, as they had never imagined that their houses to be known by their names. People from other hamlets adjoining these 14 villages have shown interest in launching a similar campaign.

Darekarwadi sarpanch Pramila Darekar, who made 300 such name plates, said, "People visiting our villagers for the recent annual fair were surprised to see the girls' names on the name plates. They also want to replicate the model."

College student Poonam Veer from Bhamburde village said, "Such initiatives are crucial as many people, particularly in rural areas, still oppose birth of a girl child. They often get into domestic violence and trouble women. Such practices need to be changed."

Shivani Dhumdare, a housewife, said, "In villages, women not only do household chores but also work in farms for more than eight hours during day. In the evening, they prepare dinner for the family members. Their contribution is immense, but their efforts are rarely recognised. This needs to be changed."