As Equals

“From childhood, I have seen a lot of wrong in the society. Especially for women. The want for a son amongst men and women in the community is so strong that someone who questions this practice is treated with contempt. I always wondered what do I lack that makes me inferior to men? Even though today I have found the answer that I am inferior to no men, I have struggled with it a lot. My strugglemade me decide that I was going to stay in my village and work towards changing this mindset among men and women. Women are having babies one after the other until a boy is born. And when they do not have a son, they are blamed and abandoned by the husband and his family. And this is worrisome even though they say the times are changing and everyone is equal in this era. I do not know how true that is. I try my best. Today, I am working as a social mobiliser with an NGO that helps women living in rural communities find their worth, thus empowering them. The programs we run here try to educate men and women about the importance of education for girls. We also tell men that it is not the fault of women when they have a girl, it is the biology of men that determines the sex of the baby. And many men are shocked when they hear it and they find it hard to believe this fact. But I tell them that is the scientific truth. There are many daily struggles here that I have to go through but I am happy that I am doing something important. I have not left for the city to find a better life for myself. I am here and I want the girls and women to be happy and live alongside their fathers and husbands are equals.”