Gender seems to be one of the most dominant variables that influence human development from conception to death, particularly in Indian society. Apart from class, race, age, religion and ethnicity, gender is another vital dimension of social stratification, putting the female at a level of disadvantage; though the scenario is slowly changing. Gender based discrimination against female children is pervasive across the world. It is seen in all the strata of society and manifests in various forms. The country has witnessed advancements in all fields, but bias against a girl child is still prevailing. Female child has still been treated inferior to a male child. Innovative techniques, like biopsy, ultrasound, scan tests and amniocentesis, devised to detect genetic abnormalities, are highly being misused by number of families to detect gender of the unborn child.The present scenario in which the girl child is mercilessly killed even before birth, does not speak too well about the fate of this species. The scenario is so varied that, it is really difficult to understand what we are really doing or trying to do in this regard. The opportunity to be born, opportunity to grow in a safe and secure environment, opportunity to develop ones’ full potential are some of the major issues concerning the girl child.Female feticide/infanticide is perhaps the worst forms of violence against women where she is denied the most basic and fundamental right – ‘The Right to Life’.But it is not the only issue with a girl child. At every stage of life, she is discriminated and neglected for basic nutrition, education and living standard. Female feticide and infanticide which are the most popular social evils prevailing in the society are the outcome of poverty, illiteracy and gender discrimination. A whole range of discriminatory practices including female feticide, early marriage, dowry system and son idolization have buried the future of the nation. Discrimination against girl child is in several forms – nutritional deprivation by way of inadequate early weaning; unsatisfactory/sub-standard/delayed medical care; poor attention and care resulting in emotional deprivation; and insufficient resource allocation for her health, nutrition, overall development and care as well as schooling and thereafter. Such practices have greatly influenced the health and well-being of a girl child. They are the documented causes of high morbidity and mortality among the females.Improper nutrition during adolescence results in various reproductive health disorders. The effects of these disorders are further enhanced by early marriage, closely spaced pregnancies, poor access to information about family planning etc. Common problem in a village is that if a girl child gets sick, the parents expect the illness to pass off naturally. Only 40-50% women get antenatal care. Thus, leading to the country’s highest mortality rates in rural areas worldwide. Paradise on earth, Jammu & Kashmir, isn’t all that heavenly a place for a girl child. The child sex ratio in the state saw a drastic fall of 79 points from 941females per 1000 males in 2001 to 862 females per 1000males in 2011. The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) in its report titled “Missing Girls” said that the state is facing a “monumental challenge on the missing girls as a result of female feticide”.The child sex ratio fell drastically due to the technology enabling pre-conception and pre-natal sex determination and sex selective abortion becoming easily available.In the last over 15 years, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a mushroom growth of illegally operated imaging centers, ultra-sonography laboratories and abortion clinics, often owned and run by quacks. With the authorities turning blind eye to their activities, their trade has survived many of the ‘news making raids’ and crackdowns.
Jammu and Kashmir is categorized in those states which have the worst sex ratio. Despite several steps taken by the state government or non-government organizations, it seems that they have all failed to curb this social menace. On the one hand we see girls entering the fields of all kinds of professions holding senior positions in offices, becoming engineers, doctors, managers etc. We are obviously impressed and are likely to believe that, the position of the girl is now after all not too bad. However, the complexity of the problem becomes malicious when we see that, together with girls entering professions there is a simultaneous and continuous rise in the graph of crimes against women. Why and how do these two sides of the same problem co-relate, is a mind-boggling situation. This situation is true of the urban area where education and freedom are given to girls – to a great extent, but even this growth of this class does not really bear any testimony to the equality of girls with boys.
The twenty-first century witnessed huge changes in the ways of life under the influence of modernization, westernization, industrialization, technical advancement, and population mobility across the globe. However, the moment a baby is born the first thing that comes to mind is “boy or girl?” and the issue is beyond just the biological one.Family and society together can lead girls towards the positive psychology of increasing optimism, strong social connections and healthy self-confidence. Educating the girls plays are a very important role in their overall development. There is a need to spread awareness among the masses against thesocial evils prevalent in the society and theconsequences thereof. It is necessary to protect the rights of the girl child particularly her right to be born, her right to remain alive, her right to protection from neglect and abuse and her right to a secure family environment.Therefore, the efforts to prevent abuse and violence against girl child calls for strengthening and strict enforcement of laws related to the safety of female folk. Besides, these efforts must pay due attention to the gross disparities and the ground realities of the society.
Disparity between girls and boys must be taken into account for giving girl children their due position in the society.Being the civilized citizens, it is our duty to raise voice against the declining sex ratio and killing of girl child. Being a woman, it is our primary duty as well as concern to come forward to stop this menace. Needless to mention here that there are many women who have already touched great heights in various fields, both at the National and International levels and had their parents gone for female feticide/infanticide, we would surely have been deprived of their contributions to the growth and development of the society! History is witnessed that in conflict zones women folk has suffer from human rights violation which includes torture, disappearance, rape, family separation and displacement. Women, in Kashmir, have been the worst hit due to conflict. The dimensions of the conflict have been many and it has been difficult, to research in these sensitive areas, to get holistic ideas about the problems faced by the women. Their problems have multiplied over time. As the conflict raged on for more than three decades, it has left them physically, socially, psychologically and economically distressed. In all types of conflict women have been exploited physically and in Kashmir they have met the same fate.
Many actors have been involved in sexual and physical exploitation of women as well as children. However, since these actions are politically and socially sensitive, many cases of abuse have not come to light. The state women’s commissions have documented many abuses and NGOs have documented even more heinous crimes against the daughters of eve in Kashmir. The consequence of conflict leads to various lifelong social and psychological traumas. Parents are always concerned towards the welfare of girl child as they don’t feel secure. I quote Julinda Abu Nasr, founder and director of Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World. who once said that “If a child especially a girl grows up with the idea of violence, that you get what you can by force, what kind of world will this be?”… Islam treated daughter like a son and considers both gift from Allah. The beloved Prophet (PBUH) has stated that “Whoever had a girl child who was not not buried nor insulted by him, and had not preferred his boy children to her, Allah admits him to Paradise” The beloved Prophet (PBUH) commanded: “Whenever you buy anything from the market place first present it to your girl children then to your boy children.” Those parents who are merciful to daughters and brought them as guided by holy Prophet (PBUH) by giving them good education, Allah will be merciful towards them. In the present circumstance as we have more than one lakh orphan girl childs in Kashmir, it is suggested that government, relevant agencies, human rights activists, religious people work together to stop killing of new born girl childs and set up an adoption agency for abandoned newborns and orphans as there are number of pious people and childless couple who can adopt girl child to please Allah. Remember! Daughters are a blessing and not a burden.
(The authors regularly contribute for “Kashmir Horizon”. Their views are personal)
