It’s fascinating to see more girls among top-ranking
students; more women having jobs, access to education, money and resources;
more women holding positions of authority and making strides in all fields.
But, what about all those girls and women who didn’t even get a chance to live?
Unfortunately daughters are still termed as liabilities in this
era even if they are highly educated and developing at a fast pace, there is still a
higher preference for a male child !
Gender preference and socio-cultural factors and mistreatment in
most cultures like dowry, wedding expenses, custom of gift-giving, inability of
girls to take care of parents after marriage, domestic violence, ill treatment
by husbands and in-laws, ill treatment on account of giving birth to a girl,
and so on. This gender preference goes hand-in-hand with gender discrimination.
In cities, women employees face the glass ceiling effect and
disparities in pay. Their non-inclusion in the decision-making processes at
almost every level is also a widespread phenomenon.
Due to the wide prevalence of the patriarchal social system,
a lot of women are still deprived of the right to own ancestral property, which
is mostly given to the male child.
Universal phenomenon
Gender inequality or gender discrimination exist in many countries around the world , and women
are fighting for the right to vote, to choose what they wish to wear and to own
property, among others.
Horrific practices like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and
trafficking are highly prevalent in parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America, the
former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
Gender-based violence and honour killings are a global
pandemic, and in some countries, women and girls fail to get even minimum
protection against these horrific practices.
How do we speak about the ‘missing women’, bringing to light
the practice of female infanticide and female foeticide, which doesn’t give the
girl a chance to even be born.
So, how can we change this scenario, which doesn’t favor the
female child?
Since change begins at home, parents are the best agents of
change. We can begin by looking at the positives of having a girl in the family
and her contribution to the society.
Women are -
Pillars of the future: Just as we say that the youth of
today are the citizens of tomorrow, so is the same with our girls. They are the
women of tomorrow. If we want to empower them, we must reduce inequality and
gender gaps, and create strong women leaders. We have to let them live today
and raise them to be those leaders of equality and development.
Change-makers: Brigham Young once said, “You educate a man,
you educate a man. You educate a woman, you educate a generation.” Women are
naturally more social and thus more inclined to help those around them. By
bringing up their daughter with the right values and education, parents can
kick-start the change and create a change-maker.
Multi-taskers: Women are much better at multi-tasking. They
are taking up roles, which were previously the preserve of men, like CEOs,
entrepreneurs, while handling the home and hearth with equal flair. In some
cases, they are also the providers in the family.
Creators of inclusive spaces: Women possess qualities like
perseverance, a nurturing spirit, empathy, sensitivity which, when combined
with complementary traits like planning and organising, are conducive to
creating more inclusive spaces for people.
With such strengths that women possess, why should they
continue to be sidelined? The girls of today are proving themselves equal to
boys in every respect. They are distinguishing themselves as achievers in every
field, from academics to sport to profession. They are successfully playing
multiple roles in every sphere of life. Their will to develop and help others
develop alongside is what can take our society forward. They are meant to be
50% of the population, their voices matter in creating a more equitable
community. Moreover, they make a ‘house’ feel like ‘home’. So, go ahead and
welcome the girl child with a warm embrace!
