Gender Bias

Years ago, a girl child was considered a taboo in our society. A mother giving birth to a girl child was kept away from the means of the society and her family. If the girl become fortunate sufficient to be allowed to live, there was open discrimination among the kids in the family. The boys were given all the attention and privileges of education and true meals. While the girls were deprived even of the basic necessities like nutrition, education and standard living. A son was considered the rightful heir.

Does that sound bizarre? Yes, that’s right. Because this situation still prevails in our country. Every day we hear the news of some father intentionally denying treatments and meals to his daughter and making it look like a “NATURAL DEATH”. If the father is more aggressive, he goes to the extent of brutally killing his daughter with this own hands. Parents abandon their girl child on the streets by disowning them completely. Such behavior is really cruel.

There are various unlawful maternity clinics in rural areas where the doctors facilitate the parents to determine the sex of foetus and abort the female ones, if the parents desire to. Everyone is aware of the fact that it is a crime and morally wrong as well, yet it is being practiced in urban areas too. Girls are considered as an unwanted souls and some kind of burden for the parents and society. According to them, only a Son can carry on the family’s name.

Spreading awareness and education regarding this issue need to be given mainly in rural areas. People need to be told that a girl child is as much important as a boy. People residing in villages need to be aware that this is just a myth that a girl child is an unwanted burden.

There should be more associations and centers to protect the rights of girl child and both the genders should be given the equal rights. Although, it seems difficult to end this deep rooted practice but nothing is impossible and we need to start somewhere. A female is a real home maker and care taker of the house.

We need to do a lot more to sensitize the society towards the value of a female child. Lowering the number of girls is a motive of serious challenge as it reasons an imbalance to the nature. Humans committing such horrendous crimes need to be critically penalized and punished. There should be zero tolerance towards such act. It should be implemented as a strict norm, which can be beneficial for the future of our country and humanity as well.

Our country is growing in all fields but still bias against girl child is winning. If Pakistan truly aspires to be the super power it needs to appreciate the true value of a woman.