CJI Gavai highlights digital risks to girls, urges specialised training

In a stirring address that underscored the urgent need to safeguard the futures of India’s young girls, Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai on Saturday, 11 October, highlighted the manifold vulnerabilities faced by the girl child in both the physical and digital realms.

Speaking at the national annual stakeholders’ consultation on “Safeguarding the Girl Child: Towards a Safer and Enabling Environment for Her in India”, organised under the aegis of the Supreme Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee (JJC) in collaboration with UNICEF India, Justice Gavai called for a comprehensive overhaul of laws, enhanced training for enforcement authorities, and a societal awakening to the persistent inequities that curtail girls’ potential.

Justice Gavai voiced his deep concern over how, despite constitutional guarantees and legal safeguards, countless girls continue to be denied fundamental rights and basic necessities, leaving them disproportionately exposed to sexual abuse, trafficking, child marriage, malnutrition, and other forms of exploitation.

“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, nourished by education and equality… We must confront and overcome the deep-rooted patriarchal customs that continue to deny girls their rightful place,” the CJI said, invoking the timeless wisdom of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem “Where the Mind is Without Fear” to stress the imperative of nurturing freedom and dignity for every girl.

Justice Gavai warned that in today’s technological era, the risks to girls have expanded beyond physical spaces into the digital sphere. From online harassment, cyberbullying, and digital stalking to misuse of personal data and deepfake imagery, he emphasised that these new-age challenges require specialised legal frameworks and sensitive enforcement.

“Protecting the girl child must become a core priority of digital governance, ensuring that technological progress is accompanied by ethical safeguards. Safeguarding her today means securing her future in classrooms, workplaces, and on every screen she encounters,” he said.

The CJI called for targeted training programs for police officers, educators, health professionals, and local administrators, equipping them with empathy, nuance, and an understanding of contemporary challenges. He stressed that laws addressing online sexual exploitation, digital trafficking, and cyber harassment must be paired with effective enforcement, awareness campaigns, and educational initiatives.

Justice B V Nagarathna, chairperson of the JJC, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that true equality for girls is realised only when they enjoy the same opportunities and support as boys—from access to nutrition, healthcare, and education to an environment free from gender-specific barriers.

“A girl should not merely survive but actively thrive, developing her sense of self and pursuing her aspirations without hindrance,” she said.

Justice J B Pardiwala, member of the JJC, added that protecting the girl child entails ensuring every girl’s right to live, learn, and grow free from harm, discrimination, and violence, with equal access to education, healthcare, and resources. He introduced a handbook on ‘Child Rights and the Law’, prepared by the Supreme Court’s Centre for Research and Planning, as a guide to strengthen understanding and implementation of child rights across the country.

The consultation, attended by Supreme Court and high court judges, child rights activists, lawyers, and policy makers, served as a clarion call: the journey to safeguard India’s girls is not just about protection—it is about empowerment, dignity, and the full realisation of their potential in a just and equitable society.

With PTI inputs