Being A Girl

Being a girl isn’t easy as it may sound to most of us. It carries with it a lot of vulnerabilities, insecurities, expectations, discriminations, and pressures. Girls and women, particularly in India, face a lot of challenges in their daily lives every day. They are discriminated at their homes as well as outside. India’s maternal and infant mortality rates are very high due to this discrimination. Right from birth, girls aren’t given good care from the parents and the society as a boy would get. A baby girl is breastfed only for a short duration of time which limits her nutrient supply. This is so that the mother can get pregnant as soon as possible, in hopes of a son the next time.

Girls in countries like India face overwhelming odds from the moment they are born. Being a girl, she’s more likely to suffer from malnutrition, be forced into an early marriage, be subjected to violence, be sold into the sex trade, or become infected with HIV. Being a girl, she faces discrimination in her own home. Being a girl, she’ll have limited access to a doctor or even a primary education although she’s able to go to school at all. There are a number of problems that a girl faces over the time in her life. Some of them where we can work and improve their conditions are listed below:

Health-related issues:

There is a lack of knowledge about the dietary patterns and the nutrition requirement among the masses. Women are unaware of the amount of food and nutrients they need to consume during pregnancy and lactation. This causes various health problems like anemia, weakness, and vomiting among them.

Gender inequalities:

Being a girl has been the primary reason for malnutrition among young girls, and malnutrition is a basic cause of death among girls below the age of five. In many households, women are forced to eat whatever is left after feeding it to the male members of the family. Even when young, girls are supposed to eat after boys. Males are fed first and better. India is a typical male-dominated society and every decision is taken by the males in the family. Women have almost no say in any matter.

Lack of Knowledge about Human Rights:

A vast number of girl children are used as child laborers. There is no knowledge about the Child labor acts of India and the measures to prevent it. Even though the government has initiated various programs for helping girls and women there is a lack of knowledge about those laws, programs, and schemes. A lot of women suffer from violence from their husbands and they have nobody to help them.

Investment in women and girls is a proven path to reduce poverty. They are disadvantaged when it comes to employment, education, and work skills. They are also abused sexually, physically, mentally and psychologically. Experience and research consistently show that improving the lives of girls also lifts the condition of their families and their communities. Quite simply, investing in girls is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Girls can change the world. But they can’t do it without support.