Gender equality has been a long struggle for India and not an easy task to accomplish. For as long as one can remember, a girl child has been labelled as an undesirable being, a burden to her parents, family and society. Economically, she is seen as a burden and not an asset. The prejudice against women starts even before they are born, which is why there are such cruel evils as female feticide and infanticide! Though the Constitution of India provides equal rights and privileges to both men and women, the majority of women are not able to enjoy these rights and privileges equally for several reasons.

The conventional value system, illiteracy, household responsibilities, lack of understanding, lack of proper guidance, low mobility, low self-confidence, family disincentives etc. are reasons enough to save girl child. However, the root causes of this discrimination need to be addressed for equality to prevail between men and women; the causes listed below need to be addressed by government agencies and NGOs along with every one of us!

a. Poverty

The pressing problem of poverty among women in India is directly related to lack of financial opportunities and independence, poor access to financial capital including credit, land ownership and inheritance, lack of education and access to support services, along with their negligible participation in all decision-making processes.

b. Illiteracy

Educational slow down of girls is one of the prime reasons to save girl child. Progress in this regard has been extremely slow, with inequalities existing at the primary, upper primary and secondary levels of education. According to a recent report, girls account for only 43.7% of enrollment at the primary level, 40.9% at the upper primary level, 38.6% at the secondary level, and 36.9% at the degree and above level.

c. Employment Inconveniences

Privileges and responsibilities within a household are not evenly distributed. In such an environment, the man is the owner of assets, which limits women's ability to take up new activities. The time a woman spends raising a child is disregarded and usually leads to deskilling. It can also lead to the termination of long-term contracts.

d. Customs, beliefs and practices

Women are bound by social mores, beliefs and practices. The long-established patrilineal joint family system limits the role of women mainly to the household and assigns them a subordinate position, authority and control compared to men. The preference for sons and the disadvantage of daughters is a complex fact that persists in many places, which is why it becomes important to save girl child.

e. Social Status

Despite marked social improvements and technological advances, women in our society are still victims of abuse, error, illiteracy and social chaos. The general social notion that only women should be housewives and should confine themselves to the home is perhaps the greatest cause of gender discrimination. Even in terms of food and nutrition, the male members of the family are given preference over the female members.

f. Lack of awareness among women

Most women are not aware of their basic rights and capabilities. They do not even have the basic knowledge of how the socio-economic and political forces affect them. Due to their ignorance and unawareness, women accept all kinds of bigoted practices that persist in families and society without fighting a hard battle.

How would you create awareness among your peers about the various causes of discrimination and reasons to save girl child? Visit www.savethechildren.com to tell us.

Increasing Sexual Harassment Cases In India An Intimidating Reality

See all posts from savethe children