Daughters should also be given due respect, they should not be considered a burden

Today, despite girls progressing in every field, they are victims of many evils. These evils create obstacles in their progress. Educated people and conscious society are also not untouched by this problem. Even today, every year lakhs of girls in the country are killed in the womb even before they are born. Even today, in many homes of the society, there is a distinction between son and daughter. Daughters are not given good food and good education like sons. Even today daughters are considered a burden in the society.

It is a big irony in our country that we worship the girl child. But when a girl child is born in our own home, we become sad. This can be seen everywhere in the country. In many states of the country, the birth of a girl child is even considered a curse. But why do people who consider girl child a curse forget that they are citizens of a country where great women like Rani Laxmibai had sacrificed their lives for the country.

Even today, as soon as a daughter is born, we start worrying more about her marriage than her upbringing. Due to the expensive weddings today, the daughter’s father is always worried about how his daughter’s marriage will be arranged. Due to this thinking prevalent in the society, female feticide has not been stopped. Due to killing of girls in the womb, the gender ratio is disturbed due to shortage of girls in the society.

The increase in sex ratio at birth in the country in the last few years is a good sign. In response to a question in Parliament, the Women and Child Development Minister had said that the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme has awakened collective consciousness towards changing the mindset of the public to accept the rights of the girl child. The scheme has raised concern over the issue of declining CSR (Child Sex Ratio) in India. This is reflected in a 15-point improvement in the sex ratio at birth (SRB) at the national level. Which was 918 in 2014. Whereas in 2022-23 it increased by 15 points to 933.

If daughters get proper education and respect in the society, then daughters will not be left behind in any field. Therefore, if it is said that Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is not a scheme, it is a responsibility of all of us, then there is nothing wrong in it. If we all want to build a good society, then it is our duty to educate these daughters in a fear-free environment. Make them so strong that they can proudly say that look, she is our daughter who is doing such a great work.

Every year three to seven lakh female fetuses are destroyed in India. Therefore, the number of men here is 5 crore more than that of women. Despite the continuous changes in the society and the increasing role of women in the work force, people of conservative ideology believe that a son will be the support in old age and if a daughter is born, she will go to her home. If the son does not light the funeral pyre then the ritual will not be completed.

Today girls are not inferior to boys in any field. Girls are doing the most difficult tasks successfully. Women power can be seen working with full courage in every field in the country. Girls have proved themselves in many fields and areas with their work and dedication. They are more talented, obedient, hardworking and responsible for family and their own life. Girls are more caring and loving towards their family and parents and they contribute their best in every work. Women also have an important contribution in the country’s economy. They play an important role in the labor force and contribute to the growth and development of businesses.

On one hand, the daughter is left abandoned to die as soon as she is born. There are also girls like Mohana Singh of Jhunjhunu district who are raising the prestige of the district in the entire country by flying fighter planes. Everyone in the society should take a pledge not to differentiate between boys and girls and to make the people of the society aware about gender equality.

Girls are being killed in the womb even before they come to earth. Even more disgusting acts are being done with live girls. Every day, incidents of rape and torture of girls in the country make headlines in newspapers. Girls do not feel safe anywhere. Be it home, school or work place. Everywhere savage wolves keep an eye on them. They scratch whenever they get a chance. How will the girls of the country be able to progress in such an environment?

Educated people of the society will have to come forward and create an environment to stop the heinous act like female foeticide. People doing this will have to be explained and their thinking will be changed. People will have to take a pledge that they will neither kill the girl child in the womb nor allow anyone to do so. Only then will it be possible to stop female feticide in the country.

The government and society should together try to create such an environment in which girls can feel safe. The government should further improve the law to spread fear in the minds of those who commit atrocities on girls. Girls have to be victims of many types of discrimination.

It is necessary to accept and promote the importance of girl child for the development of society and nation. Education is the fundamental right of every child. Only an educated girl can contribute to the economic development of her family, society and nation. Legal protection is an important aspect of protecting the rights of the girl child. It is equally necessary to change social attitudes towards girls through awareness programs and community participation.

The future of our society depends on how we treat our girls today and how much importance we give them. Empowering the girl child through education, healthcare, legal protection and social empowerment is not only a moral obligation but also an urgent need for social development. We have to ensure that girls get equal opportunities to grow and learn. Only then will we be able to create a balanced, just and prosperous society.

We all know how important a girl child is to the society. She plays many important roles like a mother, a daughter, a wife. She is supposed to be the pillar of peace at home and yet she is insulted. Women play the main role in the tradition of procreation, yet from ancient society to the so-called modern society, women have remained neglected. They have been kept with minimum facilities, rights and opportunities for progress, due to which the situation of women is at a very low level.

– Ramesh Saraf Dhamora

(The author is an independent journalist accredited by the Government of Rajasthan.)