CHILD RIGHTS IN RURAL AREAS

While the urban girl child is still at a disadvantage, her rural counterpart has some ray of hope. Nearly 19.70% rural mothers favour education for their daughters than 7.22 % in cities. This survey was conducted by the Woman and Child Welfare Department in north India.

Underprivileged girl child education in India : Even 86% of the rural fathers felt education would help girls to gain knowledge but only 72.22% of urban fathers felt that education would be good, to get a good life partner! Another startling fact discovered was while 37.25% urban girls felt their parents were against their education only 7.14% of rural parents were against education for girls.

Obviously the urban parents seem to be more orthodox in their views. They have a mindset that does not allow the girl child the freedom. This survey was done between the years 2005-06. The urban girls who felt difference in upbringing with her brother was 15.4% and in rural areas it was 8.85%.

The urban girls felt they were cursed more than rural ones for their gender. The only time the urban girls has any advantage is when they opt for love marriage. They have more freedom than the rural girls.
In rural areas the women are more hopeful that education will help their daughters to earn better. The National Plan of Action for the Girl Child has been devised to eradiate gender discrimination, female foeticide and infanticide, protect and rehabilitate the girls, shelter from abuse, violence assault and exploitation.

In 1970 when the contraception was introduced, nearly 90 % of all sterilization was female! In rural areas where there is poverty, there is a thrust on cleanliness and healthcare.
Most women were prone to breast their girls for shorter times than boys. They are eager to get pregnant again. After a boy is born, the thrust is more on looking after the male child. There was a study done in 20 villages of Maharastra by Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP).

All women were trying to survive with insufficient incomes, hard work and lived without basic necessities like food, water and shelter. Nearly 85% of the women workforce was finding it difficult to sustain the family with bare minimum care. For them surviving to see the next day is the biggest challenge.

Status of girl child in india :If a girl child gets sick in the village, the parents expect the illness to pass off naturally. In a rich state like Punjab, medical facilities for boys are 2.3 times higher than girls.  If a girl does grow up there are fewer healthcares facilities for her. India has the highest maternal mortality rates in rural areas worldwide.

If a woman goes through many pregnancies and falls ill, she resorts to home remedies rather than go to a gynaecologist. In Maharastra, about 92% of women suffer from some gynaecological disorder making it difficult for them to have healthy children. The NGOs and government organisations may do their best to educate and take out programs. The parents themselves are making life hell for their little girls.