India, Oct. 11 -- O n International Day of the Girl Child today, actor Sunny Leone reflects on the gender bias that continues to shape attitudes towards children. "I really hope people stop comparing a girl child with a boy child, because there is no difference. At the end of the day, a child is a child. Having grown up outside India, this concept of giving preference to a boy over a girl is something that does not sit well with me," she tells us. The 45-year-old actor and husband Daniel Weber adopted Nisha in 2017. Recalling the moment they received her photograph, Sunny says, "We instantly felt a connection with Nisha. We knew almost immediately that she was the child we wanted to bring home as part of our family." The family has since created an album documenting Nisha's journey and marks the day she came home as 'Gotcha Day'. "We were always very clear that we would never hide the fact that Nisha was adopted," Sunny shares. Nisha's growing curiosity has brought new conversations at home. "Until recently, Nisha had asked only the usual questions. But last year, she began asking some really hard-hitting questions as she grew older and started understanding things differently. We want her to feel comfortable coming to us with anything she wants to ask," she says. On the role her sons, Noah and Asher, play in Nisha's life, Sunny says, "We have made it clear at home that if anyone bothers her or treats her inappropriately, her brothers should stand up for her. Their first instinct is to protect their sister." She adds, "I think it is extremely important that women should stand up for themselves and be who they want to be. It starts with what you learn at home and with education. How your parents teach you to treat women. if that starts, then we can start seeing the change in our youngsters."...