Need to change mindset on gender issues: Haryana minister

Chandigarh, April 27 (IANS) Having countered the adverse sex ratio in the state in the last three years, the Haryana government wants to change the mindset of people on gender-related issues, a minister said on Thursday.

Haryana's Women and Child Development Minister Kavita Jain told the leadership summit on 'Gender-based Violence' here: "We have been able to improve the sex ratio in Haryana, but we can't stop there. We need to change the mindset."

"We need to ensure that girls get the same rights as boys. We need to bring an end to gender based inequality and it is only possible by bringing girls into social, political and economic sphere."

The summit was organised by 'Save the Children' and Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (HSCPCR).

'Save the Children' has been building capacity of child protection committees and groups in 230 villages of Haryana to tackle the issues of gender based violence.

The minister flagged off three-mobile caravans which have been designed to use a mix of infotainment techniques to educate the community about the sensitive issue of gender-based discrimination.

"Save the Children's goal is to strengthen the communities to fight violence against children and women and this summit and mobile caravan campaign is the beginning of an action movement to achieve our goal," the organisation's Project Director Jatin Mondar said.

Haryana and Punjab have been the worst among states in sex ratio (number of females per 1,000 males). The sex ratio in both the states was less than 900 earlier.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar recently announced that the sex ratio in Haryana, which was just 857 in 2015, had improved to 938 in 2016.

"We do not need a male- or female-dominated society. We have to work towards an equal society. The mobile caravan campaign will take this message to villages, where the need for sensitization is the most," Jyoti Bainda, HSCPCR Chairperson, said.