The Asian tradition of celebrating the birth of boys by distributing sweets is being turned on it's head as part of the “Equality is Sweet (Pink Ladoo)” campaign.

Asian sweet shops across the UK have agreed to offer Pink Ladoo to their customers in support of the campaign.

The campaign launches on Sunday October 11, International Day of the Girl Child, a day that has been demarcated by the UN to promote girls' human rights and highlight gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys.

The day will be marked at Birmingham Women's Hospital, where every baby, boy or girl, will be given a box of Pink Ladoo. The aim is to encourage families to take pride in the birth of all children irrespective of gender and to celebrate the births of boys and girls equally.

Raj Khaira, the London based, Wolverhampton born, founder of the campaign, said: “Currently, there is no tradition to mark the birth of a girl. This gender-biased practice sends a message from birth to Asian girls that they are worth less than their male counterparts."

“I want to raise the status and value of baby girls and transform attitudes towards women by changing this tradition.”