Wake up ! Let's Save the girl child

honeybee · May 17, 2012

My understanding of the present scenario & views on how to protect the girl child during the crucial formative years in her life (age 3 -18)

Need of the hour is a wake up call to th society to protect the girl child and give her a peaceful childhood bestowed with the basic amenities and education.

Bias based on gender should be abolished.Girls are the victims of child labour.Parents in the lower income strata of the society and below poverty line opt to make their daughters work to generate extra income to ease their financial burden and educate their sons instead.Is it fair to deny girls a chance to be empowered in the future?Even to this day it is a common practice among the affluent in some parts of the country to bring home small maids from their native place to take care of their children and do the household work 24 *7.Can we ever imagine our own kin in such a pathetic situation?

It is absolutely necessary for the girls right from the age of 3 to be aware of /educated on the topic of good and bad touch & to tell the mothers if somebody tries to play mischief.They are the most vulnerable to sexual abuse at that innocent age..it may having a lasting impression,extend well into their adolescence and lead to depression.
Moms need to play a pivotal role in the upbringing of their girls.. make them understand that friendly strangers like lift operators and drivers/attenders of school buses are not to be trusted completely ,escort them wherever they go and also monitor their mood swings..The child should confide in her mother completely and the moms should be ever willing to listen to all that their daughters have to say. A strong bond of trust and confidence should exist between the mother & daughter.

Girls need to be taught right from a very tender age the ways to cope up with pressure from all walks and how to handle issues without wilting. Determination and courage to face challenges is a must.They must be trained to accept a "NO" for an answer where needed and clearly taught that there may be children more talented than them and they should be prepared to accept victory or failure with a balanced mind and strive to improve themselves to face stiff
competition.This attitude can help to avert extremes like teen suicide which is prevalent these days.

Inspite of strict laws enforcing marriage only after the age of 18,child marriages are still thriving and flourishing in rural india.The increased rate of teen pregnancy is a source of concern.

A strong foundation laid in the formative stage of life moulds the woman of substance who can withstand the toughest of situations and emerge a clear winner in the years to come.

Making a difference to the society...
A few women have inspired me by their noble gesture in improving the quality of life of girls in need:
A College girl in my neighbourhood who conducts tuition classes for free to the primary school girls of illiterate parents.
A friend of mine who adopted an infant girl inspite of being the biological mother of a 3 yr old son.
An acquaintance, a spinster by choice is raising a physically challenged girl.

We have hope..lets' do our bit to bring a smile on the faces of the deserving children.

Pallavi4me · May 17, 2012

You made valid points through your blog honeybee. I appreciate it.

For one point I want to add that, boys are also equally prone to child labour. Ofcourse I understand the point you made and agree with it too.

Whatever we discuss and talk about, there is existing the gender bais even in literate & upward class too not only in remote areas. Its just the level of bias varies. In some cases, the rural girls are facing more adverse condition.

One point i understood is, Having education & career / financial independence is not only enough but it is the courage and confidence are the need of hour for a Female.

And the people you have mentioned in your post must be appreciated for the difference they are making in the best possible way they have.

honeybee · May 17, 2012

Hi pallavi
Thanks for your response and valueable inputs.
Yes..boys are subjected to child labour too.. I have personally seen small kids in the food courts of IT majors running errands.We the educated are helpless silent witnesses to this atrocity.
Yes.. bias exists evrywhere.. but awareness campaigns do influence the urban population positively to some extent, but rural?
courage and confidence precisely... that's what I tried to emphasise on.It can be instilled by parents first at a very initial stage.

Loved you analysis.

regards
honeybee

ramyaramani · May 17, 2012

Appreciate the points tha you have quoted. But even boys are prone to child labor. Teen suicide is also common across both genders.

honeybee · May 17, 2012

Hi Ramya
I totally agree ..boys are prone to child labour too,but risk factor is higher for girls.Teen suicides from what I see and read are for trivial reasons like parents refused to give pocket money,parents objected to cell phones etc..
Ultimately whether it is a boy or girl parenting is a challenge today.

swathi14 · May 18, 2012

Very informative and thought provoking post.

andal

honeybee · May 18, 2012

Thanks Andal (swathi14)

Viswamitra · May 25, 2012

Honeybee,

Thank you for your wonderful blog. In order to get their daughter married, the girl's family is expected to incur a lot of cost. It is a bad system. The marriage expenses should be borne by both families in the society. Both boys and girls should be educated. If every family helps a underprivileged child to be educated, it would change the life of a family.

Viswa

honeybee · May 25, 2012

Viswa sir
Thanks for your encouragement.I am honoured and humbled today... you have visited all my blogs and given me valuable comments!

regards
honeybee