A belonging of someone else

Prachi
Class VII (Prerna School)

Even today after so much development in India people yearn for a male child to carry the family name forward and getting support in their hay days. Female child is considered to be the belonging of someone else as she has to get married and go to her in laws house. Though law of the land provides equal rights to a female and male in all regards, parental heir is always a male scion at home. The best facilities; be it education , food , clothes, leisure , entertainment , or freedom are for boys . a female child is always made to feel secondary to her brother and probably unwanted too.

When a girl is young, she is guided by her father , when she is older she is guided by her husband , when she is very old ,she is guided by her son.

The time a girl is born , hardly any body feels truly happy in the family .

This social malaise needs to be treated as national security issue at the highest levels of government , various action need to be taken to children who have been sexually and physically abused and to hold the police accountable action from courts and police will not suffice if the community remains defiantly opposed to change.

India has been a patriarchy for a long time , but it is time now to move forward , it is time to develop into a society that is neither male –dominated or female dominated , but where men and women are equal – socially politically and economically . This is not an impossible dream. We can do it.

An important change that can be implemented is to make a start in the schools. Mandatory child and women’s right to education should be included in the curriculum and the focus should be put on violence against women and children in all it’s forms instead of staying away from such taboo topics , teacher should deal with them in the class room . A nationwide teacher training program must be introduced to ensure that the subject is properly taught.

Society will help us , but it is up to us women to organize our strength , individually and collectively , it is up to us to reach –out and empower ourselves.