If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate an entire family.”
– Mahatma Gandhi –
Whatever Gandhi had stated long time back is still relevant to our society at large. And, mind you; India is not all about big-big multiplexes, shopping malls, cricket stadiums, Bollywood and lavish hotels and eateries. If want to see where we lag behind other countries in terms of gender balance, then you need to study the villages.
Just take a Bus or train, and go 40-50 Kilometers deeper into your nearest highway. Once you go inside a village or rural parts of the country, you will realize that lots still need to be done before we call ourselves developed.
Even after 72 years of our independence, women are still yet to attain freedom in real sense. It goes contrary to our belief that India is a land of thousands of goddesses who we worship on a daily basis. Still, girls bear insult, atrocities and humiliation in one way or other – owing to our patriarchal society and mindset to. Amongst these, the cases of feticides and infanticides of the unborn or wee girls in rural parts of the country (and few cases are reported even in cities as well) are very shocking and deeply appalling.
Sadly enough, not always the perpetrators are boys or men. Several women with irrational mindsets also contribute to India’s already overburdened problems of gender inequality.
Human Civilization Is Impossible Without Girls
Girls should stand up for their rights and up the ante by refusing to bow down before the unjustified societal pressure. If required, new legislation need to be formulated by the concerned authority to uphold women’s dignity and rights in their day-to-day lives.
As humans, we have several duties to perform. We should spearhead a justified civilization based on human values and gender equality. We can’t stay dumb spectators to what’s happening or unfolding before our eyes anymore.
Maintaining a perfect equilibrium is all the more important —
“No animals ever discriminate between their babies; be it a girl or boy.”
— Universal Truth —
We shouldn’t be ashamed of learning something new and life-enriching from them.
