Guriya Khatoon, 14, a poor Muslim girl from Bihar's Gaya district was selected by United Nations Children's Fund to represent the children of India at the time of release of UNICEF's report in London on December 14.
Guriya Khatoon will be the only participant from India in UNICEF's release of 'State of the World's Children 2006' report on social exclusion. Khatoon will also address the function to express her experiences about social exclusion.
Khatoon, a student of class VII of Mahila Shiksha Kendra in Gaya, hails from a poor Muslim family and lives with her mother, who works as a labourer in villages near Gaya town to earn her livelihood. Her father became disabled in an accident about five years ago and moved to Mumbai with his relative to earn a livelihood.
Two years ago, a Bihar Dalit girl, Lalita, who hails from the poor rat-eater community known as 'Musahar', shot to fame after being featured on the cover of UNICEF's 'State of the World's Children 2004' report. She was the first girl from Bihar -- and India -- to receive the rare honour.