ZEE's National Girl Child Day campaign addresses the pressure of perfection on girls

In a nation that worships goddesses, the irony is stark. Female foeticide, child marriages, barring girls from education and other forms of gender inequality continue to plague society.

National Girl Child Day, observed each January 24 since 2008, was established to combat these issues. The day aims to raise awareness about these issues while promoting education and equal opportunities for girls.

However, it went largely unnoticed by brands that otherwise rush to capitalise on calendar events.

The broadcaster, ZEE, launched a campaign for the day. With the tagline 'Lightly Leti Ho Toh Lovely Lagti Ho' (you look prettier when you take it lightly), the campaign aimed to deliver a simple message: girls need not be perfect because they are already the best.

The main film featured actor Sanya Malhotra navigating household chores symbolised as a choreographed dance. The visual metaphor highlights an uncomfortable truth: girls are trained to master domestic responsibilities and feminine manners from the moment they learn to walk and talk. Society expects perfection in these roles, creating pressure that begins in childhood and never relents.

The campaign asks women to go easy on themselves. To breathe, pause, and let things be. When you stop being hard on yourself, something lovely happens.

Beyond the main film, the broadcaster released two additional films addressing the broader context, filmed within the set of its daily shows: 'Saru' and 'Happu ki Ultan Paltan.'

The campaign connects individual pressure with societal issues. The films encourage women to release the burden of perfection, believe in themselves and take it lightly.

National Girl Child Day aims to create a platform for change, fostering an environment where girls can thrive as empowered citizens.

The broadcaster's campaign used its reach to amplify this message, reminding its audience that protecting girls means both ending violence against them and releasing them from impossible expectations.

The films suggest that empowerment begins with acceptance of girls as they are, not as society demands they should be.