Today, March 8, 2008, is International Women’s Day. There has been so much hype surrounding this in India. In fact, they have managed to turn this into Women’s week. There are sales, events, editorials and TV programs.
There were special supplements in most newspapers where there was coverage on both sides of the issue. The progress that has been made and also the plight of women in rural India. As usual there are numbers thrown around about the male-female ratio, infanticide etc.
An aspect that seems to have been missed or dismissed, when bringing up the issue of the plight of girls and women in rural India. My driver is from a village in Jharkand. He has an elder son and a daughter. He wants his son to move to Mumbai as soon as he is 18, so that he too can start earning. That way they can start saving for the wedding of his daughter. What about the boy's future?
Why does he want his daughter married off? He is worried about her safety among other things. There are articles written about how the son gets first dibs at dinner and the women eat what is left. Well, for this boy who is 14, it is not going to last long. In a few years, he will move out to Mumbai and start earning. He has a tough life ahead as he toils away and probably gets married and lives a similar life, like his father. But, for now he gets to call his dad while he is driving around Mumbai, asking him to send him a shirt for his Birthday. His dad could not do that.
The plight of women is important and still remains an issue in any society: Indian or American. But when you throw in poverty, it becomes more of a child issue and maybe not a boy or a girl issue.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Ooooh, has Anita read this yet?! I agree that children regardless of gender should be taken care of. I think the emphasis on the girl child pops up in countries where many people find her less desirable than a male child (e.g., China and India in some circumstances).
For example, what is the birth rate by gender in India now? Is it levelling off yet between female and male newborns? Or is female foeticide still taking place?
That is my point. I think it is 78 to 100 and is not levelling off. But as I said, my driver fears rape and dowry. With dowry in the picture, the boy child's future is also equally bleak. So it is not that he or people of his ilk just hate the girl child. So the next time we see some random TV program with Christine Amampour passing judgement on these people...we need to look further..beyond the numbers and the images shown.
haha yeah rebecca i was like "WOAH dude back off" when i read the title.
arun and i had been talking about this for the past week. first, how women's day is celebrated ALL OVER the world except for the USA. he kept informing me of all the goings on in India, and suffice it to say, i was a wee bit envious and miss my "old life".
regarding this post, i am glad that arun has become aware of the gender stereotypes that are present in indian society. i dont blame you dude for feeling for the boys. but should we really be arguing about who is it worse for?
my point is, at least the boy has a chance to lead an independent life, by getting a job and earning some money. his sister would NEVER have that option. her choices are just as limited as his. and for breaking the taboo, she is more likely to be subjected to violence, not him. society will resort to violence to keep their women in line and "protect" them. you see extreme cases all over the world, from FGM, to purdah, burkas, female feoticide, etc. what boys are subject to the same treatment?
the key is to educate our children and try to provide for their basic needs - food, shelter, security and love. the driver's son should have a chance to get an education if he is capable - why not try to lift him out of the cycle of poverty rather than repeat it? do you think you can hint at that next time you are in the car? i wonder what he would say.
the most popular madam at the residency hotel,
anitha
Post a Comment