Protecting the girl child must be core priority of digital governance: CJI Gavai

Addressing at the National Annual Stakeholders Consultation, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R. Gavai warned that the threats faced by young girls today

New Delhi: Protecting the girl child must become a core priority of digital governance, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R. Gavai said on Saturday, underlining that safeguarding her today means not only securing her future in classrooms and workplaces but also on every screen she encounters.

In an era where innovation defines progress, technology must be harnessed as “a tool for liberation rather than exploitation, said the CJI (Hindustan Times)

Addressing at the National Annual Stakeholders Consultation on the theme “Safeguarding the Girl Child: Towards a Safer and Enabling Environment for Her in India,” the CJI warned that the threats faced by young girls today extend far beyond physical spaces into the “vast and often unregulated digital world.”

In an era where innovation defines progress, technology must be harnessed as “a tool for liberation rather than exploitation,” said the CJI. “The protection of the girl child must be a core priority of digital governance,” he stressed, adding that laws dealing with online sexual exploitation, digital trafficking, and cyber harassment must be paired with “effective enforcement, education and awareness initiatives.”

CJI Gavai said that while the digital revolution has opened new avenues of learning and opportunity, it has also created unprecedented vulnerabilities for young girls — from online harassment and cyberbullying to misuse of personal data and deepfake imagery. “Safeguarding the girl child today means securing her future in classrooms, workplaces, and on every screen she encounters,” he emphasised.

According to CJI Gavai, laws addressing online sexual exploitation, digital trafficking, and cyber harassment must be paired with effective enforcement, education, and awareness initiatives. “Technology must serve as a tool for liberation rather than exploitation,” he said.

The consultation was organised under the aegis of the Supreme Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee, chaired by Justice B.V. Nagarathna, in association with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) India.

Justice Gavai emphasised that the protection and empowerment of the girl child lie at the heart of the Constitution’s transformative vision.

“If the collective conscience of a nation is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable, then the strength and destiny of that nation are inextricably linked to the well-being and empowerment of its daughters,” said the CJI, adding that safety cannot exist “where dignity is denied, voices are silenced, or dreams are constrained by circumstance.”

He called upon institutions and policymakers to introspect whether protection has truly translated into empowerment, and whether society enables every girl “to be seen, heard and valued.”

Expounding on what it means to safeguard the girl child, the CJI said it involves nurturing her voice, curiosity, ambitions, and sense of self-worth. “It means ensuring she can learn without fear, dream without limitation, and participate fully in the life of her community and nation. When our laws, policies, and institutions create these conditions, they not only protect an individual girl but uphold the very promise of our Republic,” he said.

Justice Gavai referred to legislative measures such as the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, besides several executive programmes aimed at promoting gender-sensitive development.

However, he cautioned that despite these legal and constitutional guarantees, “many girls across India continue to be tragically denied their fundamental rights and even basic necessities for survival.” This, he said, exposes them to “disproportionately high risks of sexual abuse, exploitation, and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, malnutrition, sex-selective abortions, trafficking, and child marriage against their will.”

Highlighting intersectional discrimination, the CJI pointed out that a girl belonging to a marginalised caste and living with a disability may face “compounded disadvantages and multiple layers of societal discrimination.” He urged that training programmes for police officers, educators, healthcare workers, and local administrators must incorporate “a sensitive approach,” enabling them to respond with empathy and contextual understanding.

The CJI also emphasised the need for widespread public awareness about existing rights, protections, and welfare schemes for girls and juveniles in distress. “Too often, well-meaning citizens, upon encountering a trafficked, abandoned, or abused girl, simply do not know what exactly they can do. This lack of awareness limits the effectiveness of existing frameworks and delays timely care and rehabilitation,” said Justice Gavai, calling for nationwide campaigns that reach “rural communities, schools, and local self-governments.”

The CJI underscored that while the judiciary can play a role in reaffirming rights and ensuring accountability, the primary responsibility for implementation rests with the executive. “In protecting the rights of children, especially girls, the executive plays the most crucial role as they are the primary stakeholders in these issues,” he said, thanking union minister for women and child development Annapurna Devi for attending the consultation.

Marking the occasion of International Day of the Girl Child, CJI Gavai concluded with a call for collective action: “The theme of this year’s Girl Child Day is empowering the girl child for a bright future. Let us all collectively work in this direction.”