Happy to Have a Girl Child

“Who will carry your family name in future?” cried my husband’s well-meaning, public-sector high-

ranking-official friend when he heard that we have only a 17 year old daughter and do not plan any

more kids. His demure wife looked sheepish as he went on discussing the advantages of having sons

in this age and time. In my mind’s eye could see him dominating his wife to produce only sons.

This was nothing new to me having worked on gender discrimination all my life. The census of India

2011 has shown that the sex ratio of India has further declined, more so among the rich and the

higher middle-class.

What are we afraid of?

It is all about us, parents. We want our sons to take care of us when we grow old, be there for us at

our beck and call, marry the girl who we choose for him among the list of dowry providers, take up the

profession we wish so our family business can be protected or we can boast of their academic

achievements and pay packets, produce sons and more sons (killing all female fetuses/girls

conceived by the daughter-in-law) when we think it is time for us to play dada-dadi and finally they

carry our family name.

Give the child a break. Think of the child’s freedom to choose? What if the sexual orientation of the

boy child is not straight? It’s time we start respecting other people (even our children’s) right to

choose and refrain from expostulating.

And finally my (husband’s) family name? I hope that the values our daughter carries makes people

stand up and ask which family she belongs to.

Happy to have a girl child!!!!