Dr. Jeanette Pinto –
The first known use of the term girl-child was circa – about the year 1755. The word girl, meaning “a female child,” originally meant any “child” or “young person,” regardless of gender. Why then do we now celebrate the girl child? What about the boy child? Are we not discriminating between the genders? Not really! Well, the Boy’s Day is celebrated in Hawaii as well as in Japan on May 5th. Families fly colored carp streamers on bamboo poles from their roofs. There’s one carp for each boy in the family, but nowhere in the world is there a carp, flag or even a balloon flown from the rooftop for a girl child. Why?
The Bible in Gen 1:27 tells us that God created human beings in His own image and likeness, “He created them, male and female,” so, we have the two genders. In Gen 2:21-22 we read that the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep and while he was sleeping, He took out one of the man’s ribs and closed the flesh. He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him – “as a suitable companion to help him.” So, woman was created as a helper to man. It is thus clearly understood that man and woman were created equal, but different.
However, since times immemorial, when society became organized it was marked by supremacy of the male or father in the family or clan. The females, namely wives and children became dependent on the father. This gave rise to characteristics of male dominance, identification, centeredness and obsession with control. Gradually, society gave all or most power and importance to men and the female became a classic victim of this society. With women becoming mothers and occupied in the home, caring for and raising their children, patriarchy began to project discriminatory gender roles that not only limited and excluded women but permitted a level of power superiority against women.
Over centuries, this created problems and barriers for the girl child, namely lack of education due to poverty, lack of proper sanitation facilities in schools, gender bias, sex abuse and violence. The girl child in Modern India still finds herself unjustly caught up in the tangles of a patriarchal system, although she forms one half of society. She needs to be mentored and taught values that will improve her self-worth. She needs to be provided, cared for, cherished, and loved. It is important to affirm repeatedly that she is priceless. Parents, care-givers, governments and society all owe her this, since for too long she has had to face various trials and tribulations. She has foresight, is intelligent, powerful, a born leader and has dreams and abilities.
Social consciousness has brought about a change. Today In India as per census 2011 female literacy rates have increased from 18.33 percent in 1951 to 74,00 percent in 2011 which is very encouraging. India has also legally banned prenatal sex testing and girl child feticide. It is still in practice across some affluent and poor strata of Indian society. If not aborted, girl children are abandoned in infancy. As per 2011, 90 percent of 11 million abandoned children are girls.
In 1995 at the World Conference on Women in Beijing, countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the most progressive blueprint ever, for advancing the rights of not only women but girls. It was the first to call out girls’ rights. On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly Adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11, as International Day of the Girl Child. It focused attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of human rights.
It aimed at promoting the rights of the girl-child, increase importance of her education, health, nutrition, and also to promote the girls’ position to make their living better in society. Every year this special day is celebrated with events and programs based on annual themes. In 2019 the theme was “Empowering the Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow”; in 2020 it was – “My voice, Our common future.” We can uplift the cause of the girl child by celebrating our daughters, educating them and creating a safe environment for all women.
Today despite the many discriminations faced by the girl child, more than 1.1 billion girls are poised to take on the future. Everyday girls are breaking boundaries and barriers, tackling issues like child marriage, education inequality, violence, climate, justice and inequitable access to healthcare. Girls are proving they are unstoppable. This is because all over the globe there is the realization that women are created equal and are capable as men. It is heartening to know that on the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church in India celebrates the gift of the girl child to our beloved country.
Dr Jeanette Pinto is former Principal of Sophia College, member of Human Life Committe and a parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Chembur – Mumbai