GENDER DISCRIMINATION

We hear headlines scream out shame as hundreds of infants are abandoned on the streets in
many developing countries. A few weeks ago, in India, a little child was left to die on the
railway tracks. The crime? She was born a girl in a country that ironically worships female
power.
Unlike girls in the developed countries who are taught to as independent, smart and successful
as boys, girls in the developing countries often dont receive the same encouragement. They are
instead tortured on the narrow limits of their freedom.
It starts from the time of her conception, when the sex of the child is determined through a
scan. The girl child is often killed by gender selective abortion or infanticide. Female
infanticide is commonly practiced to allow possibilities of conceiving a boy.
For those girls who escape these initial perils, life is still full of hardships. They are often pulled
out of school before completion of their education to assist with household chores. If at all they
were to study, it must be done in the meager time they are left with after completing tasks such
as cleaning, tending to children, working on the fields, and preparing meals for members of the
family in primitive conditions.
Once the girl is old enough to be married, she is trusted with the boys family through
marriage, which demands a dowry that often plunges a family into crippling debt. Once
married, the girl is at the mercy of her in-laws. Thousands of women still die from dowry
torture if it is thought that the dowry she brought is insufficient.
Abuse follows women throughout their lives. Women living in countries where womens rights
mean nothing, are at a higher risk. The frequency of violent attacks against women is startling.
If a woman goes out of bound by choosing her husband against her parents will, or seeks
divorce, she has brought disgrace to the family and therefore is disciplined with harsh
methods.
Female deselection in most countries is attributed to the assumption that sons are more liable
to support a family by helping out in business, earn wages and support parents in their old age.
Having a son gives the parents authority to demand more dowry and raise the familys
economic status. Daughters- in-law are only viewed as additional assets for assistance in
household work.
How can we put a stop to these practices? To break the pattern of gender discrimination, we
can start by denying socio economic factors by which families should be made aware of their
daughters potential. (reconstruct the sentence.not clear) They should be encouraged to
educate their daughters, as educated girls are quintessential to ending gender bias. The longer
a girl is educated, the better are her chances of employment. This would increase her status in
the family as a key contributor, thereby providing her independence,(no comma) and saving
the family from poverty.
Women who are educated are likely to get married later, have fewer children and understand
the importance of educating them. Education gives women knowledge and power to influence
their environment. They also understand issues such as hygiene, civic responsibilities and
society better, and therefore are able to contribute to the countrys development.