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Glad I'm a Girl!

A global poll by Thomson Reuters Foundation recently revealed that India is the fourth most dangerous place in the world for women. Are the girls of Gen Next happy to be part of this species? As Children's Day approaches, five young girls voice their opinions on why XX is no less than XY.

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Kamya Sankaranarayanan
15 years, Std IX, The JB Petit High School for Girls

Balika Shishu
Perhaps our greatest grouse, amongst all the others that pepper our little worlds, is the status of women in our country. The recent uproar popularised by mass media had a significant impact on the people of India. It might’ve stirred the hearts of little girls across the country and catalysed protests and agitations, but we are repeatedly told–and indeed we feel—that our own actions are ‘insignificant’, even trivial when compared with the majority.

How do I feel as a girl? Would I rather be a boy? Admittedly, I am tomboyish. I prefer some form of physical activity from dawn till dusk to shopping for hours on end. Thanks to my fast-paced daily routine, I never pondered over these questions before; but in retrospect, I feel privileged to come from a family which shirks from making a distinction between boys and girls.

My parents are as supportive of me as they are of my twin brother. My family welcomed the birth of a girl. My earliest memories include being fondly called balika shishu by my maternal grandmother. I’ve been groomed to act, sit and talk ‘like a lady’, yet I’m never treated any less than the boys. I feel particularly pampered at home as I have clothes and presents showered on me on most festive occasions. My father, a Malayali, belongs to a family that follows the matrilineal set-up, which confers more rights on women. Being the eldest and only girl in my family, I am everyone’s favourite.

I grew up surrounded by boys. We delighted in climbing trees, playing cricket, basketball and football, pulling pranks on innocent relatives and discussing cricket statistics at length. When we were somewhat older we created our very own ‘Terrible Three’ detective agency inspired by Enid Blyton’s Famous Five. There were no biases because I am a girl. In fact, they let me play the role of a demure journalist seeking answers to questions.

I feel privileged to be part of a family that respects the girl child and allows for equal opportunities. However, as I look around, I find instances of discrimination and female infanticide even in cities like Mumbai. Women’s empowerment is the need of the hour. To lead from a position of compassion is a great advantage that women have. Instilling the value of respect for women is one way to assure empowerment. School textbooks should dedicate chapters to inspiring women who have made a difference, such as the Rani of Jhansi, Joan of Arc and JK Rowling. This might strike a chord with students and enlighten them.

 The way ahead is to change the ‘insignificant’ tag, which women are often labelled with, to ‘significant.’ This will come with education, discipline and the lessons that parents impart at home.

Miraya Mitra Saigal
7 years, Std II, Bombay Scottish

Gang of Girls
Girls can do everything. They can wear pink. They can also wear blue. Boys can only wear blue. I love pink and blue. When I was five-years-old my favourite book was Pinkalicious, it was the story of a girl who loved the colour pink. She had a pink bed, pink curtains, pink clothes. I think that can be a little boring.

Also girls can have long hair or short hair. I had long hair, but my mama took me to the salon and said I had to cut it because it had started to look a bit like straw. I was not too happy. Anyway, I am growing it again and now I can tie a ponytail. Also, I like being a girl because I can wear different kinds of shoes. Red, blue, green and yellow with ribbons and bows. Boys only wear boring sneakers, which  I wear to school. I think girls run very fast. Boys get tired. I can run fast and go wherever I want. Girls are smart and clever because they can do sums.

Last year, when my baby sister was in my mama’s tummy, I prayed for a sister. I wanted a baby girl for myself, so I could dress her up, cuddle and kiss her. I was even willing to clean her poo-poo. My baby sister is very naughty but super cute, she follows me everywhere, even to the bathroom! Now my mama, sister and I are a gang of girls. Baba has no one in his gang.

I want to be a fashion writer or an astronaut when I grow up. Maybe both. I love dressing up, so it will be cool. I want to be an astronaut because in our EVS chapter we read about Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams. Both are girls from India. I want to be like them and float in space.

Niva Ravjiani
13 years, Std VIII, St Gregorios High School

Proud to be a Girl
I am a girl child. I have been brought up with the belief that I can achieve anything I want and that I am not inferior to anyone. But when I look at the daily news, I realise that the average Indian girl isn’t that lucky. In remote areas across the country, young girls are treated horribly. Their rights are denied and they are belittled; they are considered inferior and insignificant. I am proud to be a girl. I’ve always been considered equal to the boys. But can I say the same for the girls in villages or in orthodox societies? Would those girls, be better off as boys?

I’m fortunate to be born in a modern family where the girl child is welcomed with open arms. In many places, such as the North Indian states and villages, the female foetus is denied the basic right to live—to grow and enjoy the gift of life. Her voice is drowned even before it’s heard. She is not given the opportunity to fight for what she deserves. Even if she does live, it is a life of hardship and suffering. She is not allowed to go to school or to get basic education. She has to work, manage the household and serve her family. She is considered inferior to a boy and is treated in that way. Who should she turn to? She is subjected to violence, hatred and exploitation. his makes me think—what if I wasn’t that lucky?

My thoughts on being a girl are bittersweet. I see girls like Malala fighting for social change in favour of the female race everywhere. This gives me the strength to make a difference. The treatment of girls in rural areas makes it difficult for them to have a normal life, let alone discover their potential. They would have to be born as boys to get what they deserve. But, the battle is not over yet. We girls must realise that we have more endurance and as much potential as the opposite gender to fulfill our goals. We should believe that we are special and fight for what is right. Being a girl child in India is hard, but it is something I will always be proud of.

Rupsha Bandyopadhyay
15 yrs, Std X, RN Poddar School

Girls are Brave
Why do I love being a girl? I pondered this question as soon as my father asked me; the answer is probably because I was born one. However, as I began to reflect, I realised that I love being a girl because it  is somewhat like working in a theatre; there are responsibilities to fulfil backstage and different roles to play onstage. But do I like being a girl despite knowing that we are surrounded by demons ready to engulf us?

Whether girls or women, careful or not, we are becoming targets of a section of men who do not hesitate to make us feel vulnerable. A recent study states that India is the worst country for women among the G20 nations. Can a girl like being who she is under these circumstances? Patriarchy allows a section of men to commit acts of violence against women; a woman’s silence is proof of the power of a man. We are daughters, we are sisters, we are mothers and we don’t raise our voices to protect ourselves from monsters masked with the label ‘men’. As we worship the Sitas and Parvatis, it is time to bring the Kalis out. Women like Kiran Bedi, India’s first female IPS officer; Barkha Dutt, one of the most inspiring journalists; Mary Kom, India’s leading female boxer; Chanda Kochchar, the CEO of ICICI bank; Meera Nair, the famous director who is making her mark in Hollywood give us hope for a better tomorrow. They inpsire us.

The only reason I don’t like being a girl is the make-up, shoes and clothes involved in playing this role. I like being a girl because of the responsibilities we shoulder. We effortlessly play so many roles — mother, daughter, sister, endearing friend, working professional... We are brave and have the power to overcome any obstacle that comes our way.

Anusha Subramanian
13 years, Std VIII, Arya Vidya Mandir

Not Always a Fairytale
Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change. ~ Wayne Dyer
The deep-rooted girl-child bias is rapidly unraveling the fabric of our society. It’s not only the men but also the women who are responsible for this bias. Every Indian parent dreams of a fairytale future for their child, for their daughter. They leave no stone unturned to give their child a secure future, but sometimes reality is bitter. I’m sure brutal killings over money-matters are not what they had in mind.

Why are women seen only as a money-making proposition to be used and thrown like a commodity? Women have the vision, the intellect and the ambition to excel in the same spheres as men. With a little trust and reassurance, women may not have to work twice as hard to prove themselves. Why do we agree to educate a boy in a trice but hesitate when it comes to a girl’s education? Our house-help, for example, has two children—a son and a daughter. He took considerable effort to educate his son but didn’t even attempt to get his daughter educated.

Women give birth to new life (often risking their own). In my opinion there is absolutely nothing braver than that. Then why do we stereotype girls who play sports like football or cricket by asking, ‘How can she play? She’s a girl!’

Our constitution guarantees equality for men and women. But equality in all its glory can only be achieved if government policies are implemented and mindsets are changed. Children are the future of every country. The onus is on adults to shape and mould our attitudes and thoughts to respect women and accept them as equals in the society. 

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