South Korean actress Baek Jin-hee calls for gender equality and end to discrimination against girl child

Baek Jin-hee, the South Korean actress known for her award-winning performance as the devious Empress Tananshiri in the movie Empress Ki, as well as for her roles in other movies like Festival (2010), Pride and Prejudice (2014), and Rockin' on Heaven's Door (2013), recently concluded her first visit to India.

The actress is an ambassador for the "Because I am a Girl" (BIAAG) campaign in Korea, a global initiative that promotes girls' rights, girl empowerment, and an end to injustice. These were some of the things she emphasised upon during her visit to India.

In the country on the invitation of Plan India, an international NGO working for child development around the world, she called for an end to discrimination against the girl child. Baek Jin-hee also participated in the NGO's programmes and several volunteering activities, including the planting of tree saplings.

During her visit, Baek interacted with girls from marginalised sections of society, motivating them with regard to education, personal hygiene, and self-dependence.

Baek pointed out that there was no difference between the girls living in India and other countries. She emphasised that concerted efforts need to be made to make the world a better place for girls.

She said, “It is a collective effort, and all of us should work together to improve the status of girls in the society. The fight for their empowerment, social justice, and equality must not be limited to one nation only. I hope that, one day, all Indian girls have the opportunity to get a good education and live in a secure environment.”

During her stay, she facilitated girls in a digital learning centre set up to prevent girls from the slums of Delhi from dropping out of school, and visited 'Saksham', a project that provides underprivileged youth in the suburb of Dwarka a market-oriented vocational skills training. She also closely observed how the Safe City, an initiative to increase safety and access to public spaces for women and girls, was ushering in change.

She concluded her tour by participating in the closing ceremony of WASH (Water-Sanitation-Hygiene), a Samsung-supported school that promotes basic hygiene and safe water handling practices. Under the initiative, 15 government schools across Madanpur Khadar, Badarpur, Mahipalpur, Rangpuri Pahari, Dwarka, and Uttam Nagar received safe drinking water through the installation of water purifiers and separate toilets for boys and girls.