Discrimination with girl child in Pakistan

10Jun07

Article

Dr Zulifqar Ali Rahujo

In Pakistan and especially in Sindh province the girl child is suffering a lot of problems. The prejudiced values and negatives attitudes against her are enriched in gross roots and as well in the homes. The reasons are multifactorial and can be summarized in political, social and male dominant perspectives.
The discrimination against Girl Child starts when she is conceived in mother’s belly. Especially rural Girl child more suffers and she is the most deprived child of the world everywhere. She is made illiterate and sick and is not allowed to take equal treatment and due education.
The researches in Pakistan Show that the Girl and women are the poorest in reference to their income and property. Even after efforts made by government and other sectors of society she is still lacking her development since 50 years. The facts are many:
She is undernourished in their homes or her meal is served after male has taken it. The girls are deprived for equal opportunity to access the health and education facilities. The record shows that the women /girls die more in number in hospitals and leave the education uncompleted due to gender discriminitation and negative values against her in family, the women and girl child have more work in the home as well at work place and she is even not fully paid or appreciated for that work. She is restricted to own her property, by legal, religious or by other social reasons. Even the male boy/person has more right to avail his property.
There are many other things that are practiced since her birth. She is reared differently in home, school and in the society that leads to give her mental and physical consequences. The traditions, law and social action usually produce her as inferior child in society. Our family Plans in such a way regarding her food, clothes, education and health that it ultimately leads to reduce social and mental growth. The negatives attitudes start when some one by ultrasound scanning tells the family that baby is female. Family faces shows anger and despair after listening this news. The prejudices against her float in the public that she is shame less because she births as cephalic presentation (Face on the upper side-so is she shameless), while boy comes face down ward –so is having respect for her naked mother at the time of birth. The family calls her “son” in home and in society every where including electronic media. The girls in motivated to go in kitchen and to boy to go for sports. They are offered to buy dolls and rings while boys to buy pistols or other things. If Girl reaches in puberty she is restricted to move straight/ chest forwarded (Senno Tannee Na Ghum), don’t go out of home, bow your head down, be obedient .In every sphere of life from home to schools and colleges majority you will not see the equality. She is harassed gender in schools as well in colleges.
In rural areas they married in early young ages on reciprocal/ wata satta bases, or engaged in child hood and not asked for her consent to marry. There is no any single example of any tribe in which in dispute of two tribes any boy had been sold to solve the conflicts. The girls are said to be respectful and honored as Seven Qurans when required to reduce the male tribal conflicts while same girls are killed in the name of honor by accusing them unfaith full to their family respects and so called traditions. They are sold as a trade/ taken to earn income or to continue the same property in the male family member. She is asked to give water, meal or press the clothes of her brother on only because she is girl. The people call her “child” even she becomes adult. She is not allowed to have gender education or knowledge about sex assuming that she will become corrupt or shameless
In some areas she is not allowed to eat meat/mutton as she would grow smart and may attract some one opposite. The laws of Pakistan show discriminatory behaviors regarding her property ownership, witness and marriage age that 14-16 yrs for girls and 16-18 yrs for boys. They are forcefully induced for begging and manipulated as sex worker in young age. If veil is used it is only for girls not for boys.

How this situation can be changed

Pakistan is one of those countries that have no fair behaviors toward girl in all aspects of life. The main reasons are feudal and capital system and its huge practices against women in all aspects of life. The society is uneven, there is minimum access of opportunity to the women and there is no real democracy and rule of law. The practices of law and justice don’t necessarily favors to the women. There is less participation in government institutions including parliaments. The situation can be changed when there is big break through at different levels of the society.
Government of Pakistan through struggle should be forced to make equal laws for both women and men. Every one should rear the child equally irrespective of their sex. Such family rearing trainings should be arranged by government institutions and civil society net works. Marriage or engagement before the age of 18 yrs should be banned . The girls and boys should be given knowledge for sexual orientation so that they may be able to prevent their body or soul consequences. Every child should be nourished equally .The girls should be given equal opportunity to access health and education. Every girl in home or else where should not be allowed to work more on ground of her sex. The justice should be made easily for women .The government must take action in all aspects of life including making the legislation that may support the girl child and women to up grade their personality development.

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