On National Girl Child Day, celebs talk about gender issues and the winds of change in today's society

Progressive times
Meera Deosthale
There is a popular song Chhodo kal ki baate, kal ki baatein purani. I feel India has progressed and the mindset has changed. Girls are as competent as boys and doing well in all phases of life, be it home or career. I would like to say that it is our responsibility to give all the girls the importance, happiness and the respect they deserve.

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Great upbringing
Hemal Dev
I grew up in a family of five where four of us were women. My father, being the sole male and the head of the family, made sure my sister and I grew up to see no difference in genders. Reality hit us only when we saw gender inequality sometimes outside of our house. Thanks to the kind of family values, nothing broke my confidence and I always proved to be in equal capacity with the men around.

Changed scenario
Aly Goni
Boys and girls are equal and we, as a nation, have progressed. It’s just a matter of mindset. Girls are doing everything that boys can do, be it in career or at home. In all fields, you can see women doing quite well. Girls are as responsible as boys. In this new day and age, both genders deserve equal opportunities.

Value & respect
Kiran Raj
My family or I have never believed in discrimination between a girl and a boy. As children too, my sister and I were equally loved and scolded when we did something wrong. My parents always taught me to value and respect women and in today’s world, women are equal to men.

More to achieve
Nupur Joshi
Times are changing. We have come a long way and yet much more is there to accomplish. When we say now girls are equally valued, I feel proud but at the same time, this development, by far, is mostly restricted to the urban population. Only by welcoming a girl child by birth is not the solution, we have to create equal opportunities and possibilities for them.