It’s a boy
Yes, this
statement is what parents are desperate to hear when a child is born in India.
Well, I would present all my points in this writing through facts and figures
to convince my readers about the seriousness of the issue. A recent report on Gender equality or rather
Gender murder states that about 50
million baby girls are killed before and after birth. Is this the same India
we are talking about where Goddess Laxmi, Durga, Saraswati and many more are
praised?? Another report of rupeenews.com says that about 40% of girls in India under the age of 14 do not attend school.
Well considering the status of women in India, there are hundreds of topics to
discuss about.
“1
in every 25 girls is aborted before birth”
Let’s start
with the sex ratio. Sex selective abortion is not a new term for any of us, but
even after her birth, the girl child in many cases is not properly fed and
looked after resulting either in malnutrition or death. Infact nowdays kits are
available across the borders of India which allow women to have the gender test
even at home. Scientists have lately found that generally girls are stronger
than boys at the time of their birth. Yet, a recent UNICEF report states that in India, child mortality were about 43% higher for females as compared to
males. India’s female to mail ratio is just 93 females to 100 males
as compared to world average of 105 females
to 100 males. The day is not far
when many men of the family would have to share one wife or turn into
homosexuals rather. How did this situation come upon? Did anyone cast a spell on India?
“Spend
600 rupees now, save 50,000 later “
This is the
slogan which was used in Tamil Nadu by a team of surgeons to advertise sex
selective abortions. There is little need to explain the statement. It says if
you spend 600 now for the sex detection test, you would save money which
otherwise you have to pay as dowry for the girl’s marriage. This statement
highlights the fact that inspite of dowry being declared strictly illegal under
law, it is a quite common and a big reason for such low gender ratio.
“Upto
800,000 people are being trafficked across borders each year”
The above
statement was highlighted in a recent 2005 report which also reveals that as
many as 80% among them are women. Haryana which has become quite infamous
for frequent rape cases is very popular in human trafficking. According to UNIFEM, 45,000 girls
have been sold in and around Haryana in 2006
alone. This menace leads further to prostitution, sexual harassment and
exploitation and denial of basic human rights.
The
condition of safety and security of women were all the same in the capital
until the recent rape case highlighted the seriousness of the issue. And where
are our politicians and policemen?? Well they are quite busy in blaming each
other for this case. But finally who is the sufferer?
”Raising
a daughter is like watering someone else’s field”
Coming to
the superstitious and orthodox section of the society now. In Rajasthan and U.P, it’s a common practice for the girls to eat less than their
counter parts and only after the men and the boys have finished their meals. In
many places in India, the law holds no position over the local social and
religious customs of the Indian society which are mostly favorable and biased for
sons. Fathers believe that the lightning of their funeral by the son will
ensure that their soul ascents to heaven. There are places of worship called
the “SON TEMPLES “in Punjab where
one can pray for a son to be gifted. Another superstition is that if a first
child is born as a girl, the next child will be a boy only if that girl is executed.
AIDS now can possibly be cured if detected before hand. But seems the people of
India have found out a better cure. It is believed that if an AIDS contaminated
man infects a young virgin girl, he
is sure to be cured( I thought only doctors could do that ). This sadly has
only resulted in deaths of hundreds of innocent girls
“Sexual
harassment is rare in India “
It’s a myth.
Infact it is widespread in India in many of its forms which can be as minor as
eve teasing or as major as rape. A recent survey reveals that sexual harassment
touches about 40 to 60 percent of
working women in India. Yes the same India where after fighting with her
in-laws, a woman is permitted to work outside home. And what do we give her in
return?? This also accounts to the fact that majority of the cases go
unreported due to family pressure and social status. The politicians and the so
called Khap panchayats of India many
times are seen blaming the girls for their dressing styles which lead to
provocation of harassment and rapes. For these escapists, studies have found that harassment does not occur due to the way someone dresses and the victims vary
in physical appearances and age. Now how can you expect a 4 year girl to be raped just because of the way she dresses? These
fools should instead be educated before they further make any more comments.
“Akeli ladki ek khuli tijori ki tarah
hoti hai “
You must
have heard this line in bollywood film. Well cinema has a great effect on the youth as they always tend to imitate their
superstars and the way they show how love happens. So the censor board should
be careful enough while approving certain scenes. To solve these issues, what
we need is:
EDUCATION
India lacks far behind in literacy rate. Add
to that subjects like moral education should be made compulsory for all.
Awareness
The mentality of people needs to be changed.
Their stupid beliefs should be thoroughly criticized. Social media and NGO’s can
be best used in this field.
Law and order
The police
should take the responsibility of providing a safe and secure environment for
the women especially as it has become customary in India to not to allow women
of the house to go out alone after dark. Next strict laws should not only be
made but rather implemented. Special dedicated helplines which are set up
should be maintained and advertised. Quick action is what should be promised
for every case. Media can also be used if the administration fails to act. The
fear of law must prevail.
Dare to Speak and do not Delay
Many a times
women ignore comments made by passer by’s thinking it to be best way to come
out of the situation. But rather it increases
the confidence of the harasser assuming the girl is totally okay with it. The
family and the police should be immediately informed about any such incidence
to set an example for others who dare to do that or rather think about it.
Power of youth
India has
the highest youth population in the world. This should act as a game changer
for this issue. More and more people should be motivated to join NGO’s and opt for civil services as a career to make the changes happen. At
college level, the student organizations should be strong enough to pressurize
the administration to take strict action against any complaints received by a
student or a teacher. JNU has set a
good example by setting up a Gender Sensitisation Committee against
Sexual Harassment (GSCASH)
which is strong enough to take strict and quick actions. Also the student
representative is democratically elected by the students.
This should
be taken up as a role model for other universities all over the country.
“Men
of quality respect women’s equality”
