Socio-cultural practices threatening the girl child

This article discusses aims and initiatives of SAARC for improving the rights and living conditions of female children in India. Sex discrimination against female children is traced from fetus to infancy, childhood, adolescence, and motherhood. Selective elimination of fetuses provides the first opportunity to favor males by reducing the number of females. During infancy, there are opportunities to commit female infanticide or neglect the care of female children during illness. During childhood, female children can receive less health care and less food, which may result in higher mortality and morbidity. Older children may be used to assume domestic responsibilities, care for small children, and/or perform hazardous work, which may result in high rates of morbidity and mortality. During adolescence, female children may be forced into early marriage, early childbearing, or experience anemia, stunting, perinatal complications of pregnancy, deliver low birth weight babies, low education, and repeat pregnancy. At every stage, the female child's survival is threatened. Equality means an equal opportunity to have access to resources and facilities during various stages of her life cycle. Gender equity is necessary for changing attitudes and practices, which constrain or deny the girl child's access to opportunities or facilities. Strategies may involve awareness generation, mobilization of women, and gender sensitization. Equal status and opportunity for women in India is dependent upon sustained political will and action. All policies must eliminate gender disparity and discrimination. The government must develop a database on female children. There must be time-bound targets, concrete actions, enforcement of legislation, and formulation of plans for awareness generation. The government needs to form partnerships with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

Developmental psychology · Girl · Government (linguistics · Neglect · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology