It’s a girl! #2
November 15, 2012
In a part of my discussion about the ‘Femicide’ of girls in India and China, I referred to the core of its motivation being about greed – especially in terms of the dowry system in India.
Some of the people who commented in response to the post, weren’t so sure about greed being the primary drive – but I’d like to explain my understanding of it:
If an entire nation feels that their current system of female slaughter is acceptable because of the issue of a dowry – then money is the goal.
I think that at this point greed is the predominant factor because sons are revered for what they can ‘bring in’.
Women and girls, on the other hand, are treated like a commodity.
They are always owned.
You may feel that the term ‘greed’ is incorrect (maybe it is) – but I can’t get past the fact that the essence of it is money driven…and all because of the septic tradition of paying someone to take your daughter.
Worse still the amount of violence and ‘dowry deaths’ bestowed upon these poor, poor women – that comes from the parents not paying enough dowry – is again driven by money. Torture, starvation, beatings, forcing acid down women’s throats…
It makes me feel sick.
The following article A Report On The State Of India’s Girls has more devastating statistics like:
* Hundreds of girls born in India are given names like ‘Unwanted’ and ‘Undesired’ by their parents.
* 90% of abandoned children in India are girls.
* 25 million girls in India are married off before the age of 10.
* 53.22% of children in India have experienced some sexual abuse; 22% of them extreme forms of sexual violence.
* Up to 5 years of age, girls in India have a 40% higher mortality rate than boys the same age.
Towards the end of the documentary, a very eloquent Indian woman was explaining how ludicrous it was, that while women like herself try to engage in a dialogue with people who continue these disgusting practices, they end up finding themselves discussing women as if they’re the latest conservation plight – like ‘Save the Pandas’ – except women aren’t an animal – they are fellow human beings.
Question #112: Can we all stand and use a collective humanitarian voice to help these women and girls?
YES!
Sign this petition to stop Female Genocide in India:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-female-genocide-in-india/sign.html
At least it’s something.
Deep, deep breath.
x
Questions for Us 
extremely well said!! keep on telling it as it is…. 🙂
I can sometimes sound a little vague, so I just wanted to explain my thoughts.
Thank you for your lovely comments. x
I get what you mean. And I agree, greed, money (all in the financial vein) do play a HUGE part in this. But, it isn’t all dowry driven. Sorry if I wasn’t able to say that well in my last comment.
“If an entire nation feels that their current system of female slaughter is acceptable because of the issue of a dowry – then money is the goal.”
See, while some people, within and outside of the country do attribute the femicide to dowry, its not as simple as the entire nation accepting the practise because of dowry alone. The other big factor, again money driven, though in a different way, is the patrilineal organization of Indian society. Girls get married, and become part of the husband’s family. Period.
So, many families want male heirs to carry on their family and to keep their property within the ‘family’. Albeit, laws recognize the equal or so division of property between all children regardless of sex/gender, in many places in the country, this doesn’t happen. This is another reason behind the desire for male children – some Indian families continue to believe in the archaic concept of “betiyaan as paraya dhan” – roughly translated to ‘daughters as others’ property’.
I know that dowry is not the only reason for femicide – in one way it would be something easier to ‘solve’…one ‘tradition’ to tackle. I just meant that while that particular branch of femicide is an accepted one, then it can also be for financial gain (or loss) in the long run.
I think I came around in my second post to seeing that the bottom line is that women are owned.
Your explanation is great. Thank you for giving us this extra insight on the issue.
So, so sad…just makes my heart ache more.
x
🙂 Yeah your second post made things clear. It would be much easier to solve, wouldn’t it? I wish it were so.
Bit by bit, we’ll get there. x
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