Girls To Be Heads Of Canadian Missions In India To Mark International Day Of The Girl

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Priyadarshinee N
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Canadian Missions in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru will mark the International Day of the Girl (IDGC) on October 11, 2018, with a range of activities to empower girls and highlight the fact that girls can achieve their dreams.

In New Delhi, the High Commission of Canada, in collaboration with Plan India, will welcome a young university student from Bihar, an advocate for girls’ rights, to take on the role of the High Commissioner for the day.

She will visit Suncity School in Gurugram and speak about breaking gender stereotypes and the importance of girls’ education. Later in the day, she will join Canada’s High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel and heads of other diplomatic missions at an event to highlight the importance of investing in girls, organised by Plan India.

The High Commissioner will also participate in a live Twitter Chat on October 10 at 17:00 IST, together with Sucharita Dutta from Nutrition International, filmmaker Nandita Das, Shaheen Mistri from Teach For India and freelance journalist Anjali Mody.

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Speaking about this occasion, High Commissioner Nadir Patel said: “The International Day of the Girl provides us an opportunity to highlight the needs and rights of girls. This year, we at the High Commission are focussing on girls’ education because it has a direct and positive impact on development.”

In Mumbai, the Consulate General of Canada will partner with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Society for Nutrition, Education and Health (SNEHA), Mumbai Press Club, and TATA among others to host a young woman to take over the role of the Consul General for the day.

The Mission will partner with civic bodies to light up several important buildings in pink to mark the day. The Consulate General will partner with municipal schools and Bhau Daji Museum to screen ‘Driving with Selvi’, a film by Canadian Director Elisa Paloschi, about the first woman taxi driver in south India.

In addition, the Consulate General will partner with the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) Mumbai, the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and Avid Learning to present ‘Multipolis Mumbai: Philanthropy and the City’ -- a panel discussion on the impact and future trajectory of philanthropy. In the run up to IDGC, the Consulate General had reached out to about 50 schools to distribute an IDGC activity guide.

In Ahmedabad, the Canadian mission collaborated with Wajra O’Force, an NGO dedicated to the empowerment of women and girls, to organise a special event on October 9, to commemorate IDGC. The event was attended by the Mayor of Ahmedabad Bijal Patel, High Commissioner Nadir Patel, Acting Consul General of Canada Tara Scheurwater, Chairman of Municipal School Board Pankajsinh Chauhan and about 500 school students. The day culminated with a meeting between a group of girls representing Wajro O’Force, the High Commissioner, and Canadian music icon, Bryan Adams.

In Madhya Pradesh, the Canadian mission will partner with Nutrition International to organise a series of educational activities in municipal schools.

In Bengaluru, the Consulate General of Canada, in collaboration with the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber and Engineering Manufacturer Entrepreneurs Resource Group (eMERG) will host eight girls from disadvantaged sections of society to ‘take over’ as the Consul General of Canada and CEOs of seven Canadian and Indian companies, for a day.

Canada led the call for an International Day of the Girl (IDGC) at the United Nations in 2011 to raise awareness about the challenges that girls face and as a call to action. The first IDGC was celebrated on October 11, 2012. IDGC is an opportunity to highlight the needs and rights of girls, and to advocate for greater action and investment to enable girls to reach their full potential throughout their lives.

Buildings in Mumbai to be lit up in pink: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST - a UNESCO heritage building), Municipal Corporation Building opposite CST, TATA Botwallah Building, Essar House, The Royal Opera House, National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai.

Companies in Bengaluru that will host girls as CEOs: Pimarq, We - MANA & AH Rogya, Embassy Office Parks Management Services Private Limited, Infosys, Novatek International, Innovatia, Amadeus Software Labs India Pvt. Ltd.

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