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”