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The fact that girls are being murdered
quietly after sex determination tests, what can one say of rights of
girl child in India? As per UNICEF guidelines the girl child must get
equal opportunities to education, medicine, healthcare facilities and
workplace.
Although the democratic constitution and laws state there have to be
equal and full opportunities, the girl child, if she survives barley
gets to see her 15th birthday. Out of the 15 million baby girls born in
the country, every year nearly 25% of them do not reach their 15th
birthday.
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India has been one of the first
countries to introduce family planning in 1952. The tragedy lies
in the misconception that a male heir is all that is needed. But
how many people realise that to have the male heir, a woman is
needed to reproduce. Biologically she is the carrier of the
child.
In many homes across the country, girls are treated with
indifference. Daughters are considered as liabilities. Outside
one sex determination clinic in Haryana, it was written, pay Rs.
50 now rather than pay Rs. 50, 000 later (as dowry).
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Women have no power themselves even though
they have legal recourse. It takes guts for a woman to stand up against
her husband, in-laws or parents if she meets with dowry problems or
sexual violence. Child marriages restrict the girls and their rights.
There is malnutrition, poverty, high
illiteracy and infant mortality ailing the society today in India. Only
40-50 percent women get antenatal care. In Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Maharastra, Orrisa and Gujarat the registration for health
services for mother and child are low (5-22% in rural) and (21-51% in
urban) areas.
A pregnant woman is dependent on the mother-in-law and husband for any
treatment that she needs. Atrocities against women has risen. Every 26
minutes a woman is molested. Every 34 minutes a rape takes place. Every
42 minutes a sexual harassment incident occurs. Every 43 minutes a woman
is kidnapped. And every 93 minutes a woman is burnt to death over dowry.
One-quarter of the reported rapes involve girls under the age of 16 but
they are never reported.
The government’s initiative of saving the girl child has started with a
‘palna’ (rocking cradle). It is not a rocking scheme. The NGOs and other
agencies working to save the girls from becoming victims of infanticide
feel this could be a way that parents who give birth to the girl and
leave it in the government’s care! The scheme has sent wrong signals to
poor parents! In Tamil Nadu where the scheme started off has not been so
successful.
Girl child education in India : The constitution guarantees free primary
school education for boys and girls up to 14 years of age. But till
today, only 39% of girls and 64% of boys get education in Bihar,
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. If women teachers were
increased chances are that girls in rural areas would continue to study.
As girls get enlightened, they will raise better families.
copyright
data 2007. Indianchild.com
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Save the Girl child
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Urban Vs Rural India |
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