India's unwanted girls

[ccharles000]

On a steaming hot day, nearly two dozen women have gathered in the office of the government-run child development project in the Bihar village of Vidupur.

Most are accompanied by their little daughters. All of them have a white sheet of paper which they scramble to show me.

It's a precious document - it carries the name of the girl, her date of birth and other details. And it's proof that she is enrolled for the government's Kanya Suraksha Yojana (Girl Protection Scheme).

Under the scheme, the state invests 2,000 rupees ($44; $27) in a fund in the name of the girl. The money grows along with the child - once she reaches 18, officials say it will be worth about 10 times that amount, and could be used to pay for her wedding or to fund a college education.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13421267

[murielm99]

1. What a sad story.

But be warned: this same topic started a flamefest just a few days ago.

[pnwmom]

3. What was the flaming about?

[murielm99]

7. Abortion rights got mixed up in it.

I read it, but stayed out of it.

[akbacchus_BC]

2. India is a very complex country and your OP is beyond the pale! Not all

of India is the same, the cities are different.

The Indian govt. has tried to ban the dowry system but most folks in the urban areas still adhere to it. It is not a paradise for women but with their population, it is hard for the govt. to oversee the abuse of women. Just my humble opinion!

[pnwmom]

4. This is a big problem in India and in other countries where the number of girls

is declining.

Why is this OP beyond the pale? Are we supposed to pretend the problem doesn't exist?

You say the cities are "different" and then you say that the dowry system is still practiced in the urban areas. So what's different?

[akbacchus_BC]

5. My apologies about beyond the pale, DU is so complex and when

we are from different parts of the world, we chose words that others cannot understand.

India is so very complex with girl children and on the other hand we have China with the one child policy and they kill their girls in order to get a boy, so girls are in short supply in both countries.

In India, a girl is a liabibility due to the dowry system, the govt of India has banned the dowry system, but the mortals continue it. Hope am making sense and sorry if I offended you!

[juajen]

8. I can't speak for others, but I'm sure a lot of us understand

what "beyond the pale" means.

[Cerridwen]

6. Then it's probably a good thing the article stated such, isn't it.

It points out where the problem exists and where it doesn't exist as much.

But it is a problem and the article explains what and how and why.

[eppur_se_muova]

9. There are four articles at that link -- click on the tabs below the title.

They discuss several aspects of the problem, including how it varies from place to place.

(Individual links also here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1169874&mesg_id=1169874 )