When the baby starts its journey from a dark place hoping to see light, it is greeted by the people to a place where the darkness in the form of ignorance is spread far and wide. The mom waits in desperation to check the baby's fate. She waits for the three words that could make or break her little one's life.
#Scene 1
Result: "It's a boy!"
Jubilation! The new father is greeted by all. Look of pride on the father's face.The new mom heaves a sigh of relief!
#Scene 2
Result: "It's a girl!"
The new mother is abused for her inability to give birth to a male heir. The baby is taken away without even a second look.The newborn girl is made to bid farewell within few minutes of her arrival and is sent back to the permanent darkness from where she came.
When a girl is born she is seen as the curse to the family as the family feels a girl is a burden. She is seen as an 'unavoidable expenditure'. Thanks to the dowry system (though we boast that it's completely eradicated). She is seen as a harmful piece of flesh that can bring miseries to the family as it develops. She is considered as a black mark. If at all the girl survives this ordeal, the society continues to see her as a piece of flesh, torments her and makes her feel insecure every moment . Her tears are ridiculed and her feelings are massacred.
The three most deadliest words in the world, "It's a girl" ! These three words can make a human turn into a beast. Evan Grae Davis points out the 'gendercide' that's prevalent in India as well as throughout the world and shares the video of a woman from rural Tamil Nadu who admits killing her daughters by strangling to death as soon as they were born. Hearts go heavy when we hear him share few incidents that take place in China and Cambodia.
Can you ever think of the world without girls? The day is not far if this situation continues. As per the video 200 million women are missing in the world due to the 'gendercide'. There is a gender imbalance observed throughout.
We say education and bringing awareness can make the situation better. Even I believed in this till I read this news that a Chief Judicial magistrate of Gurgaon has allegedly murdered his wife. Reason being she couldn't give the Garg's family a son. It's just a speculation, but still even a slightest doubt of this sort on a person who holds a respectable position in the society makes us feel "Are we really civilised?". Link to the news here.
But what do we do? We read this news, scold the society and move on to the next news. There are N number of videos, news articles, campaigns, statistics that are time and again showed but what do we do about it? We appreciate the move, shower many awards, talk about it for a while and then? As it is rightly said in the video "When we say 'Save the Girl Child', whom are we addressing to? " Instead the change can happen only when each one of us turn the mirror and take this owe of saving the girl child. We'll have to be the change that we wish to see in the world.
A girl is a special creation. She has been bestowed with the power to create a life. She goes through all hurdles just to see her loved ones smile. She is an epitome of selfless love, sacrifice and patience. When a girl child is killed, along with her, the share of love, care and affection that the society would have got had she survived is also killed.
I write this post with deep sorrow, regret, agony and rage. While I write this post, somewhere deep down I still hope there will be a change soon.
Link to the video of Evan Grae Davis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Franklin Templeton Investments partnered the TEDxGateway Mumbai in December 2012.
#Scene 1
Result: "It's a boy!"
Jubilation! The new father is greeted by all. Look of pride on the father's face.The new mom heaves a sigh of relief!
#Scene 2
Result: "It's a girl!"
The new mother is abused for her inability to give birth to a male heir. The baby is taken away without even a second look.The newborn girl is made to bid farewell within few minutes of her arrival and is sent back to the permanent darkness from where she came.
When a girl is born she is seen as the curse to the family as the family feels a girl is a burden. She is seen as an 'unavoidable expenditure'. Thanks to the dowry system (though we boast that it's completely eradicated). She is seen as a harmful piece of flesh that can bring miseries to the family as it develops. She is considered as a black mark. If at all the girl survives this ordeal, the society continues to see her as a piece of flesh, torments her and makes her feel insecure every moment . Her tears are ridiculed and her feelings are massacred.
The three most deadliest words in the world, "It's a girl" ! These three words can make a human turn into a beast. Evan Grae Davis points out the 'gendercide' that's prevalent in India as well as throughout the world and shares the video of a woman from rural Tamil Nadu who admits killing her daughters by strangling to death as soon as they were born. Hearts go heavy when we hear him share few incidents that take place in China and Cambodia.
Can you ever think of the world without girls? The day is not far if this situation continues. As per the video 200 million women are missing in the world due to the 'gendercide'. There is a gender imbalance observed throughout.
We say education and bringing awareness can make the situation better. Even I believed in this till I read this news that a Chief Judicial magistrate of Gurgaon has allegedly murdered his wife. Reason being she couldn't give the Garg's family a son. It's just a speculation, but still even a slightest doubt of this sort on a person who holds a respectable position in the society makes us feel "Are we really civilised?". Link to the news here.
But what do we do? We read this news, scold the society and move on to the next news. There are N number of videos, news articles, campaigns, statistics that are time and again showed but what do we do about it? We appreciate the move, shower many awards, talk about it for a while and then? As it is rightly said in the video "When we say 'Save the Girl Child', whom are we addressing to? " Instead the change can happen only when each one of us turn the mirror and take this owe of saving the girl child. We'll have to be the change that we wish to see in the world.
A girl is a special creation. She has been bestowed with the power to create a life. She goes through all hurdles just to see her loved ones smile. She is an epitome of selfless love, sacrifice and patience. When a girl child is killed, along with her, the share of love, care and affection that the society would have got had she survived is also killed.
I write this post with deep sorrow, regret, agony and rage. While I write this post, somewhere deep down I still hope there will be a change soon.
Link to the video of Evan Grae Davis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Franklin Templeton Investments partnered the TEDxGateway Mumbai in December 2012.
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