Need of the hour is a wake up call to th society to protect the girl child and give her a peaceful childhood bestowed with the basic amenities and education.
Bias based on gender should be abolished.Girls are the victims of child labour.Parents in the lower income strata of the society and below poverty line opt to make their daughters work to generate extra income to ease their financial burden and educate their sons instead.Is it fair to deny girls a chance to be empowered in the future?Even to this day it is a common practice among the affluent in some parts of the country to bring home small maids from their native place to take care of their children and do the household work 24 *7.Can we ever imagine our own kin in such a pathetic situation?
It is absolutely necessary for the girls right from the age of 3 to be aware of /educated on the topic of good and bad touch & to tell the mothers if somebody tries to play mischief.They are the most vulnerable to sexual abuse at that innocent age..it may having a lasting impression,extend well into their adolescence and lead to depression.
Moms need to play a pivotal role in the upbringing of their girls.. make them understand that friendly strangers like lift operators and drivers/attenders of school buses are not to be trusted completely ,escort them wherever they go and also monitor their mood swings..The child should confide in her mother completely and the moms should be ever willing to listen to all that their daughters have to say. A strong bond of trust and confidence should exist between the mother & daughter.
Girls need to be taught right from a very tender age the ways to cope up with pressure from all walks and how to handle issues without wilting. Determination and courage to face challenges is a must.They must be trained to accept a "NO" for an answer where needed and clearly taught that there may be children more talented than them and they should be prepared to accept victory or failure with a balanced mind and strive to improve themselves to face stiff competition.This attitude can help to avert extremes like teen suicide which is prevalent these days.
Inspite of strict laws enforcing marriage only after the age of 18,child marriages are still thriving and flourishing in rural india.The increased rate of teen pregnancy is a source of concern. A strong foundation laid in the formative stage of life moulds the woman of substance who can withstand the toughest of situations and emerge a clear winner in the years to come.
Making a difference to the society... A few women have inspired me by their noble gesture in improving the quality of life of girls in need: A College girl in my neighbourhood who conducts tuition classes for free to the primary school girls of illiterate parents. A friend of mine who adopted an infant girl inspite of being the biological mother of a 3 yr old son. An acquaintance, a spinster by choice is raising a physically challenged girl.
We have hope..lets' do our bit to bring a smile on the faces of the deserving children.
