DNA Edit: Daughters of India

The traditional Indian mindset that sons are the true inheritors of family legacy and are crucial in taking the bloodline forward, is changing and how. And, this challenge to a male-heir-centric obsession is coming from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Muslims and rural households who want daughters more than sons. 

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data show that about 79 per cent of women in the age group of 15 to 49, and 78 per cent of men aged 15-54 have expressed keenness to have at least one daughter. Imagine, even a couple of decades ago, girls were considered a burden to their families because of the dowry needed to be paid at the time of marriage. What’s remarkable in the survey is that more rural women (81 per cent of respondents) — a huge percentage of which have also have been deprived of education — rather than their urban counterparts (75 per cent), wanting to have daughters. This trend continues among men too, with more rural men (80 per cent) than urban men (75 per cent) expressing a similar desire.

The desire for a girl child is even more among men who haven’t received a formal education. The overall rise in preference for the girl child can be best judged from the figures of the 2005-06 NFHS survey where 74 per cent of men and 65 per cent of men wanted a girl child. The desire for a girl child has grown exponentially across all religions as well. However, realities on the ground do not encourage the safety and well-being of girls. The growing incidence of rapes and other forms of sexual violence is regrettable. As more girls are born, the government should not only provide for their future, but also keep the roads safe from predators.