By Our Correspondent, Rupandehi Jan. 23: The Girl Child Insurance scheme rolled out by a local unit of Rupandehi proved a boon to control child marriage and sex-selective abortion in the region.

The scheme was introduced by Omsatiya and Gaidahawa Gaunpalikas to control early marriage and sex-selective abortions in the area. The scheme is gaining popularity in the southern part of Rupandehi district.

The civil society leaders said the scheme had succeeded to bring positive changes at the community level.

Talking to The Rising Nepal, Shivakumari Harijan, a local of Omsatiya Gaunpalika, said because of the scheme introduced by the Gaunpalika, she had decided to arrange her daughter’s marriage only after she turns 20.

“The Gaunpalika has deposited Rs. 20,000 in my daughter’s account and this can be withdrawn only after she turns 20,” said Harijan.

In the fiscal year 2074/75 BS Omsatiya Gaunpalika, had allocated Rs. 3 million for the programme of which Rs. 2.7 million amount was spent for the programme, said Sunita Harijan deputy-chief of the Gaunpalika.

Harijan said the office had launched girl child insurance scheme amounting to Rs. 20,000 for up to 20 years of age if the birth of new born girl child was registered in the rural municipality.

The amount is being deposited in Small Farmer’s Bank by opening the account of individual girl child, said Sunita adding that the scheme applied for only three girls of a family.

She further added that because of the civil servant integration and other reasons, the Gaunpalika couldn’t implement the programme effectively in 2075/76 fiscal year. However, the office had been effectively implementing the scheme.

“The office has allocated Rs. 3 million budget for the programme,” she said.

The Gaunpalika office had launched girl child insurance scheme amounting Rs. 30,000 for up to 20 years of age if the birth of the new born girl child was registered in the rural municipality.

For the insurance premium, the Gaunpalika office will provide Rs. 20,000 and remaining Rs. 10,000 will be added by parents or guardians, the office informed.

“After 20 years, total Rs. 417,000 will be accumulated in the account. The accumulated insured amount will be handed over to parents for the marriage of daughters only after reaching 20 years of age,” Gaunpalika chair Hira Kewat said.

And if their parents failed to deposit Rs. 10,000 in the account, then they would get only Rs. 300,000, said Kewat.

He said the parents would not get the insured amount if their daughters got married before 20 years of age.

“The programme was initiated to mitigate early marriage and control rising cases of sex-selective abortion in the region. We believe that this will spread a positive message among other communities,” said Kewat.

The 20-year duration was set for the insurance to control child marriage in the Gaunpalika, he added.

“After the scheme was introduced, a significant drop in female feticide has been recorded in the Gaunpalika,” claimed Kewat adding that the drop in sex-selective abortion can be attributed to the scheme.

This has been generating awareness about the importance and role of girls and women in society. In the past, males were favoured over females in family of the region. But this is gradually decreasing now, he added.

Rupadenshi is one of the 15 districts of Nepal having high rate of child marriage.

The Lumbini Sanskritik Gaunpalika has also implemented the programme from the current fiscal year.

According to deputy-chair of the Gaunpalika, Janaki Devi Shrivastav, the office has separated Rs. 10 million.