Shreen Hamdani
Our society competes with the advent technology of world and believes that we are heading towards better psychological development but on ground zero level, we haplessly lack it. Several people believe that there is no difference between girl and boy both exist on equilibrium. But with moulding and shaping old beliefs, there still exists social taboo when a boy is born in our society- friends, parents and relatives express happiness via greeting congratulations and distributing sweets. However, when girl is born, their reaction is different. Many parents even get disheartened and weep when girl child is born because; to them they feel it is just another expense. A son means insurance by inheriting father’s property and supposedly gets a job to support family. Well, in some parts of India, it is traditional to greet a family with a new-born girl by saying, “The servant of your household has been born”.
In the competitive world where girl is proving herself in every field equal to opposite sex, fails to overcome the feeling of inferiority when everything around her tells that her worth is lesser than a boy.
The pugnacious journey of girl starts from the stage when she is not even born. Expectant mother usually prays to deliver a baby boy because of sharing some so-called blessing to her in-laws home. Some although believe girl child is gift from Allah but after getting more than two daughters, even they crave for baby boy. Girl child steps in first staircase of journey when education comes in her way. Education for girls is equally important as for boys but our ancestors supposed that girls should stay at home and boys are free to move. However, winds have changed their direction, now a section of girls opt to study outside the state and abroad.
After education, marriage and dowry haunts the mind of parents. Our society has developed different psyche about girl and her marriage. They turn birth of a girl as upheaval in family and these entire impasse rational results in the illicit practice of infanticide. Even after infancy, the jeopardy of physical harm follows a girl throughout their lives. Women in every society are vulnerable to abuse and the frequency of rape and violence is alarming.
In our culture, there is stigma that maintains strict rules and regulations for women folk, if a woman steps out of these rules – choosing her own partner, flirting in public or seeking divorce from abusive partner-, she has dishonored her family and parents. Moreover, if boy is doing the same, many stars praise him on his father’s shoulder.
Dowry is yet another root cause of all problems for females as they are extravagant costing years, worth of wages and often putting bride’s family in debt. In this regard, UNICEF has estimated that around 5000 women in India are still being killed in dowry related incidents each year. Apart from dowry some females are themselves responsible for infanticide of girl child. Expectant mothers seem slightly more likely seeking prenatal care when carrying a boy rather than girl. The need of hour is that Doctors should not share prenatal sex information during ultrasound exams with parents. Illicit gender identification is lucrative business in every nook and corner.
It is the need of hour that boy should be mature enough to balance and curb all these menace to change our society.
Facebook update reflects the beautiful story, which can stun one’s ideology.
Once newly wedded couple, wife and husband decided and agreed not to open the door for anyone. On very first day, husband’s parents came to see them, they were behind the door. Husband and the wife looked at each other, husband wanted to open the door, but since they had an agreement, he did not open the door, so his parents left. After a while the same day , wife’s parents came , wife and the husband looked at each other and even though they had an agreement , wife with tears on her eyes whispered , I can’t do this to my parents , and she opened the door. Husband did not say anything, years passed, they had four boys, and the fifth child was a girl. The father, planned a very big party for the new-born baby girl, and he invited everyone over. Later that night his wife asked him what was the reason for such a big celebration for this baby while we did not do it for the others! The Husband simply replied, because she is the one who will open the door for me!
Daughters are always so special!!
The only thing we need is to introspect and respect girls.