TakingITGlobal - Panorama - Being Born a...

Published on: Mar 15, 2002

Topic:

Type: Opinions

https://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=250

"To be born a daughter is a misfortune, may she be born later after the son", is the common saying of Nepali society. Girls are neglected in Nepali society. Due to neglecting, females have a lower life expectancy. While sex ratios show that society disfavours girls to boys at every age level.

Girls are ordered to work more, but recieve less in the way of health care and food. Sons are shown preference by receiving more nutritious food than girls. Girls not treated with good health care, less girls are immunized in comparison to boys. Thus, when they are being treated in a hospital, they arrive in unhealthy conditions, worse than a boy would arrive. Females are not given an education because people think that they will one day have to leave the house and go to other's house (husband's house). Girls are taught to be wives and mothers.

The hindu family especially prefers to give birth to boys, since in
thier old age the parents are supported by their son(s) .Thus the property is inhereted through them from one generation to another. According to a proverb among Maithili people, "when girls are born the earth sinks by a foot,but when a boy is born it rises up a foot to greet him". Girls are born stronger, but the sex ratio is tilted against them. Girls have neither the voice, nor the status to bargain for their rights.

Prabesh Poudyal
NEPAL

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by Prabesh Paudyal
Published on: Mar 15, 2002
Topic:
Type: Opinions
https://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=250


"To be born a daughter is a misfortune, may she be born later after the son", is the common saying of Nepali society. Girls are neglected in Nepali society. Due to neglecting, females have a lower life expectancy. While sex ratios show that society disfavours girls to boys at every age level. Girls are ordered to work more, but recieve less in the way of health care and food. Sons are shown preference by receiving more nutritious food than girls. Girls not treated with good health care, less girls are immunized in comparison to boys. Thus, when they are being treated in a hospital, they arrive in unhealthy conditions, worse than a boy would arrive. Females are not given an education because people think that they will one day have to leave the house and go to other's house (husband's house). Girls are taught to be wives and mothers. The hindu family especially prefers to give birth to boys, since in thier old age the parents are supported by their son(s) .Thus the property is inhereted through them from one generation to another. According to a proverb among Maithili people, "when girls are born the earth sinks by a foot,but when a boy is born it rises up a foot to greet him". Girls are born stronger, but the sex ratio is tilted against them. Girls have neither the voice, nor the status to bargain for their rights. Prabesh Poudyal NEPAL « return.