Today, On 11th October, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai emphasized the growing vulnerability of girl children in the digital era, highlighting online harassment, cyberbullying, and misuse of personal data. He urged specialized training, stating, “To secure her safety is to free her spirit.”
Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai highlighted the vulnerability of girl children in today’s digital landscape, citing issues such as online harassment, cyberbullying, digital stalking, misuse of personal data, and deepfake imagery.
He called for the creation of specialized laws and the training of law enforcement and decision-makers.
CJI Gavai expressed his concerns during the national annual stakeholders consultation on “Safeguarding the Girl Child: Towards a Safer and Enabling Environment for Her in India.”
This event was organized by the Juvenile Justice Committee (JJC) of the Supreme Court in collaboration with UNICEF India.
Despite constitutional and legal protections, many girls across India are still denied their fundamental rights and basic needs. This vulnerability puts them at a heightened risk of sexual abuse, exploitation, and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, malnutrition, sex-selective abortions, trafficking, and forced child marriage.
He stated,
“To secure her safety is not merely to protect her body, but to free her spirit. To create a society where she can hold her head high in dignity and where her aspirations are nourished by education and equality…. We must confront and overcome the deep-rooted patriarchal customs that continue to deny girls their rightful place.”
Referencing Rabindranath Tagore’s poem “Where the Mind is Without Fear,” Justice Gavai emphasized that this vision remains incomplete as long as any girl in the country lives in fear, fear of violence, discrimination, or being deprived of the opportunity to learn and dream. He asserted that true progress can only be claimed when every girl grows in an environment of freedom and respect.
He urged for a thorough examination of the social, economic, and cultural barriers that continue to hinder girls’ lives, noting that the threats they face now extend beyond physical boundaries into the vast, often unregulated digital realm.
Adding that challenges such as online harassment and digital stalking have become more sophisticated, he remarked,
“In today’s technological era, where innovation defines progress, it is important to recognise that technology, though empowering, also brings new vulnerabilities, especially for the girl child,”
The CJI stressed the importance of specialized training for institutions, policy frameworks, and enforcement authorities to adapt to contemporary realities. He stated,
“Training programmes for police officers, educators, health professionals, and local administrators should consequently incorporate a sensitive approach, equipping them to respond with empathy, nuance, and contextual understanding.”
He also mentioned that laws addressing online sexual exploitation, digital trafficking, and cyber harassment need to be complemented by effective enforcement, education, and awareness initiatives.
Asserting that in a digital future, technology should function as a means of liberation rather than exploitation, he emphasized,
“Protecting the girl child must become a core priority of digital governance, ensuring that technological progress is accompanied by ethical safeguards,”
He concluded,
“Safeguarding the girl child today means securing her future in classrooms, workplaces, and on every screen she encounters.”
Justice B V Nagarathna, chairperson of the JJC, stated that a young girl in India can only be considered a truly equal citizen when she can aspire freely to achieve what her male counterparts can and receives equal support and resources to do so, without facing gender-specific barriers.
She noted,
“Put differently, the odds of her being born at all, having access to the right nutrition, care, education and material resources, a secure and safe environment, developing a distinct sense of self and being able to achieve whatever she sets her mind to has to be equivalent to that of a boy child born in this country. She should not merely survive but actively thrive.”
Also Read: BREAKING | Toxic Cough Syrup: Supreme Court Dismisses PIL Seeking Probe into Child Deaths
Justice J B Pardiwala, another member of the JJC, remarked that protecting the girl child involves ensuring that every girl has the right to live, learn, and grow with equality, free from harm, discrimination, and violence, including issues like female foeticide and child marriage.
He emphasized the need for equal access to education, healthcare, and resources, as well as promoting her value within families and society, empowering her to make informed choices and reach her full potential as a respected individual and contributing member of the community.
Justice Pardiwala also introduced a handbook on “Child Rights and the Law,” prepared by the Centre for Research and Planning of the apex court under the guidance of the JJC.