Status of the Girl Child in India

The learner will gain a fundamental understanding of the skewed sex ratio, its causes, and its effects from this blog post, titled "The Status of the Girl Child in India." The learner also gains some understanding of how Indian girl children are exploited, neglected, and have their human rights violated. The learner will also become familiar with the role of social workers in improving the status of girls and with government initiatives to do so.

Content

Introduction
Features of Gender Disparity
Causes of Gender Discrimination in India
Discriminations Faced by the Girl Child in Selected Sectors
The Role of Social Work Agencies/Social Workers:
Conclusion

Introduction

Since the dawn of time, prejudices, patriarchal attitudes, and bias against male children have been perpetrated against girls, and this discrimination is still going strong in the age of advanced technology. The harsh realities of girlhood include female foeticide, infanticide, neglect, child abuse, dowry killings, rape, discrimination in all spheres, and gender stereotyping. There are numerous things that must be taken into account. These are typically educational, familial, cultural, and societal in nature.

Some Relevant Definitions

Prior to attempting to comprehend the position of the girl child, it is crucial that we have a fundamental grasp of what is meant by the term "child" and other phrases that are used when we talk about the prejudice experienced by the girl child. Here are some of them defined:

Child:

The Juvenile Justice Act, the first juvenile law that covered the whole of India, was enacted in 1986. The J. J. (Care and Protection of Children) Act which amended in 2006 & 2010 declares “juvenile” or “child” as a person who has not completed eighteenth year of age.
The Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act (1986) ‘Child means a person who has not completed his fourteenth year of age.’

Infant Mortality: is defined as the infant deaths (less than one year) per thousand live births. This is further classified into Neo Natal deaths and Post Neo Natal deaths.

Neo Natal Death: Those infants who die before they complete four weeks of life.
Post Neo Natal Death: Those infants who die between 28 days and 365 days of their life

Sex Ratio at Birth: Denotes the number of female live births to 1000 male live births.
Child Sex Ratio: The number of girl children per 1000 male children in the age group of 0-6 years
Gender Parity Index (GPI) in enrolment: At primary and secondary level it is the ratio of the number of female students enrolled at primary and secondary levels in public and private schools to the number of male students.

Features of Gender Disparity

It would be helpful to understand what gender prejudice is before delving into the many facets of gender discrepancy. It basically refers to discrimination based on gender. One sex is favoured above the other due to the method in which gender is separated. In India, women are viewed more negatively than men. Indicators of gender discrimination against girls include the sex ratio at birth. The nation's low sex ratio at birth indicates that, mostly as a result of sex selection, fewer girls are being born in the nation. According to the most recent trends in child sex ratios, females make up a smaller percentage of children aged 0 to 6 than boys do. All of this indicates that boys continue to be preferred in our society.

The Missing Girls Phenomenon

The sample registration system for 2008–2010 revealed that the sex ratio decreased steadily from 2000 to 2005. (from 892 to 880). It climbed from 892 to 905 between the years 2005 to 2010, showing a little improvement. The sex ratio of 905 girls for every 1,000 males between 2008 and 2010 demonstrates gender bias unmistakably. Although the country's population increased by 181 million in absolute terms from 2001 to 2011, the population of children aged 0 to 6 years old actually decreased by 5.05 million people during this time. Male children have decreased by 2.06 million, while female children have decreased by 2.99 million. In 2011, there were 158.79 million children in the age range of 0 to 6 years. Children (0–6 years) make up 13.1% of the population overall in 2011, while male and female children, respectively, make up 13.3% and 12.9%. In the age range of 0 to 6 years, female children experienced a greater decadal fall in population (3.8%) than male children (2.4%). (GOI, 2012a). According to some activists, India's 2011 census reveals a significant drop in the proportion of girls under the age of seven. Between 2001 and 2011, eight million female fetuses may have been aborted, according to activists. In youngsters under the age of 15, there are 1.8 crore more boys than girls.

The North-South Gender Disparity

The Gender Gap Between North and South The child sex ratio in India as a whole was 914 in 2011. However, there appears to be a regional pattern in the nation's child sex ratio. According to Census 2011, Haryana (830), Punjab (846), Jammu & Kashmir (859), Delhi (866), Chandigarh (867), Rajasthan (883), Maharashtra (883), Uttrakhand (886), Gujarat (886) and Uttar Pradesh have frighteningly low (900) child sex ratios (899). According to the data available, a clear indication that gender inequality varies by location is that Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, in particular, appear to be more skewed toward male offspring than the southern states. The northern and southern states appear to be clearly divided in this regard (GOI, 2012a).

The Rural-Urban Gap in Child Sex Ratio

The Child Sex Ratio Rural-Urban Gap In both rural and urban India, the child sex ratio decreased between 1991 and 2011. Rural India has a child sex ratio of 919, which is 17 points higher than urban India's ratio of 902, which is 902. It is quite concerning that between 2001 and 2011, the reduction in child sex ratio (0–6 years) in rural India was more than three times greater than the decline in urban India. The rural-urban child sex ratio disparity has, however, narrowed from 27 points in 2001 to 17 points in 2011. However, it's crucial to remember that gender bias is more pronounced in rural than metropolitan settings (GOI, 2012a).

Caste Differentials in Child Sex Ratio

Differences by Caste in the Child-Sex Ratio The child sex ratio in India was 957 among tribals, higher than the ratios of 933 among Dalits and 910 in the population as a whole but not include these two groups, according to data on SCs and STs from the 2011 census. This demonstrates that, in comparison to the general population, gender parity is higher within the reserved castes and groups.

Gender and Infant Mortality Rate

Infant Mortality Rate and Gender According to the Sample Registration System, out of the total number of deaths recorded in 2010, 14.5% were newborn deaths (under 1 year), 3.9% were deaths of children 1-4 years old, 18.4% were deaths of children 0–4 years old, and 2.7% were deaths of children aged 5–14. IMR was reported to be 47 nationally in 2010; in contrast, it ranged from 51 in rural areas to 31 in urban areas. In 2010, the infant mortality rate for boys was 46 and for girls it was 49. In all large states, female infants died at a higher rate than male infants. In India, the SRS-based U5MR for 2010 is 59, ranging from 66 in rural areas to 38 in urban areas. The under five mortality rate is higher for females than males; in 2010, the female U5MR was 64, compared to the male U5MR of 55. (GOI, 2012a).

Causes of Gender Discrimination in India

The gender bias that exists in our nation is caused by a number of social and economic factors. The poor status of girls in India is a result of factors such as the excessive son preference, conventional gender roles where girls are expected to do domestic duties, and other factors. The following reasons are provided:

Understanding Son Preference in India

As there have been causal hypotheses of its origins and social supports, there have been almost as many indications of son preference. The following is a list of some of them, as determined by Vanneman et al. (2012):

Patrilineality : Strong patrilineal gotras that govern local village life and family relationships in India structure kinship. These conflicting patrilineal groups are structured on land ownership and political power. For the patrilineal line to survive and grow, sons are essential. The patrilineal descending group in these places serves more purposes than only transferring property to the following generations. They are well-organized social organizations that have been thoroughly assimilated into the greater political structure, which provides political stability.
Assistance for Seniors: Sons must take care of their aging parents because of the patrilineal and patrilocal nature of the Indian kinship system. Son preferences are so directly related to one's ability to support themselves in old age. Older widows are more vulnerable. Therefore, women feel the urge for boys just as strongly as fathers do.
Dowry and wedding costs :A significant family expense in much of India is the marriage off of daughters. Even though there are expenses associated with sons' weddings, the families of the sons typically get the dowries and gifts that go with the new wife. Therefore, having more men could eventually result in having more resources, whereas having more daughters could result in having less money in the household. Dowries have frequently been blamed for gender discrimination because of how they have expanded beyond their traditional boundaries and become larger with economic development.
Sex-selective abortions are available:The increasing accessibility of technology has increased the number of parents' awareness of their latent son's preferences. These new technologies are largely responsible for the frequently abrupt recent increases in sex ratios at birth. People's attitudes toward son preference are frequently evaluated by asking them to describe the gender makeup of their ideal family. If they respond that they prefer more sons than daughters, we can draw the conclusion that they have a recognized son preference and that sex-selective abortion is a possibility. Most families desire to have one or more daughters. However, families who prefer sons will choose two or more sons over a single daughter.

Traditional Gender Roles

Another significant factor contributing to gender discrimination is a cultural attitude that is resistant to change. A significant barrier to eliminating discrimination against females is the belief that established gender norms and expectations must remain unquestioned or unchallenged. Unfortunately, this traditionalistic understanding of roles extends to all social structures.

The Stress of Housework The World Bank and UNDP (2010) found that the amount of time spent on various activities by boys and girls is comparable, with the exception of domestic work and social/relaxation time, where girls spend 34 hour longer on domestic work than boys and thus get fewer hours of social/relaxation time than boys.
Care for siblings The girl kid typically sacrifices her right to an education on the altar of taking care of her younger siblings. The girl child's right to an education is not acknowledged because at a young age when she needs nurturing herself, she is expected to take care of her mother's obligations. As a result, the boundary between productive employment and domestic labour for the girl child is blurred.
Children's Socialization Unfortunately, the next generation is also educated at home and encouraged by schools and other social institutions to think in this conventional mindset of the girl kid being housebound, cooking, and caring for her siblings. As a result, gender prejudice is further exacerbated by the transmission of traditional gender preconceptions from one generation to the next.

Discriminations Faced by the Girl Child in Selected Sectors

In India, nutrition, health, and education are the three main areas where girls experience inequality. Dr. Amartya Sen has rightly noted that there are two basic types of inequality: those related to education and those related to health. These, he continues, are the welfare status markers for women.

Nutritional Deprivation and Health Care of the Girl Child

According to NFHS 3, 43% of children under the age of five have an underweight condition. The percentage of underweight female children (under the age of 5) is higher than that of male youngsters. The setting for this lethal discrimination in the area of nutrition and health care facilities is limited resources in families, which are present in a very significant number of poor households in India. When resources are scarce, sons are given preference over females.

Breast Feeding: Compared to their male counterparts, girls breastfeed less frequently and for shorter periods of time (likely also to conceive rapidly and ideally a breast child). It is advised that infants receive just breast feeding for the first six months of life to guarantee optimum nutrition. Unfortunately, this is not allowed for our females.
Food Intake: consuming food Infancy, childhood, and maturity, male children are fed first and with superior nutritional food than female children. Studies on household dietary intake conducted across the nation show that there is less nutritional equity between men and women in northern than in southern states.
Malnutrition: Several studies including the three National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) reveal that malnutrition is not the result of a single cause; the problem is multifaceted, the causes acting singly or in combination with other complex factors like poverty, purchasing power, health care, ignorance on nutrition and health education, female illiteracy, social convention etc. Inadequate weight-for-age indicates underweight status of the child. It was found that the percentage of underweight female children (< 5 years) was 43.1 while for male children it was found to be 41.9. This shows that a gender bias is in operation here.
Nutritional Deficiencies: The major setback the girl child faces is that she never reaches her full growth potential and suffers from anemia. This proves to be a risk factor in pregnancy, which complicates the child bearing process as well as results in maternal and infant mortality as well as low birth weight of infants. A study found anemia in over 95 percent of girls aged 6-14 in Kolkata, around 67 per cent in Hyderabad, 73 per cent in New Delhi and about 18 per cent in the Madras area. Among male and female children (6-59 months) the percentage of children with any anaemia was reported as 69% and 69.9% respectively (NFHS 2005-06). High rates of maternal under-nutrition measured by low body mass index and anaemia adversely affect the health and survival of mothers and newborns.
Health Care and Medical Attention: A primary way that the girl child faces discrimination is through neglect during illnesses. Girls are not taken to the doctor as frequently as their brothers. A study shows that in Punjab medical expenditures for boys are 2.3 times higher than for girls. Out-Patient data from hospitals in northern Indian cities show slower admissions of girl-children, and girls who are in a more serious condition than boys when brought for treatment. There is also a tendency to take girls to local faith healers when sick while the boys are taken to a registered medical practitioner.

Girl Child and Disparity in Education

In the years 2005–06 and 2009–10, the proportion of girls in the total enrolment at the primary and upper primary levels was 19% and 46.5%, respectively, and it climbed to 48.5 and 48.1 at these levels, respectively. Over time, there has been a steady increase in the proportion of women to men in schooling. In general, at the national level, fewer girls than men are enrolled in all stages of education, including primary, secondary, and higher education.

Enrolment

The Gender Parity Index ratio in elementary education increased from 0.76 in 1990–1991 to 1.00 in 2009–10, representing a 31.6% rise, while in secondary education it increased from 0.60 in 1990–1991 to 0.88 in 2009–10, representing a 46.7% increase. Due to poverty and limited family finances, girls frequently lack access to education while boys frequently benefit from it at the expense of girls. According to the data for the Gender Parity Index for Enrolment, it is important to note that India has not met the goal of eradicating gender imbalance in primary and secondary enrolment by 2005. The discrepancy in enrolment at the secondary level was a barrier to success. However, the fact that the girls are entering the halls of official education is positive.

Dropouts and Retention

In classes I through VIII, the dropout rate is 40.59 for boys and 44.39 for girls, which is a significant cause for concern. Though virtually perfect parity in enrolment was achieved at the elementary level, it is noteworthy that the dropout rate in classes I to V revealed that male students had a higher dropout rate than female students (30.25for boys and 27.25 for girls). From class V through VIII, however, there is a trend reversal and more female dropouts are observed than male dropouts. Given that females reach sexual maturity at this age and that activities like child marriage may be to blame for this drop-off in higher classes, this could be attributable to socio-cultural factors.

Lack of Access to Higher education

Dropout rates for girls in classes 1 to 10th was 53.38 for boys and 51.97 for girls. Thus we see that gender gaps in education have narrowed considerably. However as more and more boys are engaged in education, there is a growing reliance on the labour of girls. Girls are increasingly replacing their brothers on the farm while carrying on their usual responsibilities in housework and sibling care added to which is the existing parental apathy for the education of the girl child, due to reasons of parents being very traditional in their outlook. They much rather get them married and leave her at her matrimonial home than educate her.

Other Areas of Neglect and Exploitation of Girls

In addition to discrimination in nutrition, health, and education, girls in India are frequently exploited and abused in a variety of ways. UNICEF (2009) expounded on some of these, which are listed below:

Girl children and child labor

The fact that females typically work from home, the lengthy hours they put in, the unfavorable working conditions that prohibit them from attending school, the lack of skill development, the low pay and status, and the limited career mobility are some aspects of girls' labor. Girls who work outside the home are susceptible to sexual harassment and physical violence. The girl kid is considered as being humble, quiet, focused on her job, diligent, and honest—not given to idleness as she frequently lacks vices or addictions. So, now is the perfect time to take advantage of them. Some of them perform their jobs in hazardous and unprotected situations.

Prostitution of children

In India, four women and girls become prostitutes every hour, three of them against their will. Compared to other Third World nations where child prostitution is directly linked to sex tourism, the issue of child prostitute in India is more complex. In India, gender discrimination, traditional customs, and beliefs all contribute to the sexual exploitation of minors. For instance, there is a widespread misconception that sexual contact with a kid will heal HIV or any other sexually transmitted disease.

Child Marriage

The country reported 113 cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, with West Bengal reporting the most cases (25), followed by Maharashtra (19), Andhra Pradesh (15), Gujarat (13) and Karnataka (13). (12). In India, 47% of women aged 20 to 24 who were married before the legal age of 18 did so, and this number rose to 56% in rural regions, according to UNICEF's "State of the World's Children-2009" report. Additionally, the study revealed that India accounts for 40% of all child marriages worldwide.

Measures for Improving the Status of the Girl Child

Despite the existence of legal institutions, regulations, and policies, as well as the advancement of gender equity, there are still significant implementation gaps.

Efforts to Curb Female Foeticide

Section 315 and 316 of the Indian Penal Code discusses the offence of feticide and infanticide. If a person commits an act with the intention of preventing the child from being born alive or an act that results in the death of the child after birth, that person is committing feticide/infanticide as long as they do not do it in the interest of the mother's health or life. The passing of the Pre Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Technique (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 is a big achievement. It prevents testing for identification of the sex of the child and consequent abortion if the foetus is female. However implementation of the same has not been very effective.

National Plan of Action for Children (NPA), 2005

This Plan was adopted by Government of India in the pursuit of well-being of children with its main concern for complete abolition of female feticide, female infanticide and child marriage and ensuring the survival, development and protection of the girl child.

The Right to Education Act, 2009

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, became operative on 1st April 2010. This development has far reaching implications for elementary education in the years to come: it implies that every child has a right to elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school which satisfies certain essential norms and standards. UNICEF has launched the ‘25 by 2005 Girls Education Campaign’ to accelerate its ongoing efforts towards getting girls into schools in 25 countries where an extra effort is needed to meet the Millennium Development Goals of gender parity in education.

Constitutional Provisions

Several provisions in the Constitution of India impose on the State the primary responsibility of ensuring that all the needs of children are met and that their basic human rights are fully protected. Children enjoy equal rights as adults as per Article 14 of the Constitution. Article 15(3) empowers the State to make special provisions for children. Article 21 A of the Constitution of India directs the State to provide free and compulsory education to all children within the ages of 6 and 14 in such manner as the State may by law determine. Article 23 prohibits trafficking of Human beings and forced labour. Article 24 on prohibition of the employment of children in factories etc, explicitly prevents children below the age of 14 years from being employed to work in any factory, mine or any other hazardous form of employment. Article 39(f) directs the State to ensure that children are given equal opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and guaranteed protection of childhood and youth against moral and material abandonment. Article 45 of the Constitution specifies that the State shall endeavour to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of 6 years. Article 51A clause (k) lays down a duty that parents or guardians provide opportunities for education to their child/ ward between the age of 6 and 14 years. Article 243 G read with schedule-11 provides for institutionalizing child care to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living, as well as to improve public health and monitor the development and well being of children in the Country

Key Issues in Bridging the Gender Gap

The following critical challenges need to be addressed, according to the Eleventh Five Year Plan (Planning Commission, 2007–2012), in order to empower girls and make them equal partners with boys on the path to development and advancement.

Survival of the girl child and her right to be born —prevention of female feticide/ Infanticide
Equality in Health and nutrition
Enabling Education For the Girl Child
Gender Sensitization of Educational System
Abolition of Child Marriage
Prevention of Girl Child Abuse, Exploitation and Violence

The Role of Social Work Agencies/Social Workers:

The social worker who is striving to mitigate female child exploitation and reduce inequities must first comprehend the complicated realities of a girl kid.

Liaising with ICDS and Balwadis in providing adequate services to the girl child such as health care, medical checkups, nutritional diet, hygiene and developmental activities.
Sensitizing the society, more importantly mothers by providing information on gender issues, health, hygiene, parental skills and other significant issues. Primarily the important policies need effective implementation.
Develop new strategies for upliftment and empowerment of girls.
Create awareness among different stakeholders and communities who are in a position to bring about a paradigm shift in the thinking ethos towards the girl child as well as formulate effective policies for the girl child, implement them on an going basis, follow up the efficacy of the said policies.
Using social platforms to create and discuss negative impact of discrimination of the girl child by including leaders of different communities.
Primarily as social workers working with the people would need a creative mind set or perhaps thinking out of the box. Street plays and utilization of other forums to bring about a shift in old patriarchal thought processes and advocacy of breaking gender stereo typing wherein only the male child has the right to perform the last rites of his parents etc.
Advocacy for laws that have more teeth primarily pertaining to inheritance and property rights for the girl child.

Conclusion

The state must act to improve our society's neglectful attitude toward females right away and implement creative ideas and programs that will contribute to a significant shift in how we regard our female citizens. For girls to develop into healthy, content women, they need access to school, a strong support network, and decent nutrition. Create an environment that is both socially and physically safe for females to move around in without feeling threatened, and shield them from all types of exploitation. The state must promote gender equality in all its endeavors and instill a sense of it within society. The opportunity to choose their own path in life and to grow without prejudice must be offered to girls.

References:

GOI (2012a). Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Children in India- 2012- A statistical Appraisal, New Delhi. http://mospi.nic.in/mospi_new/upload/Children_in_India_2012.pdf
GOI (2012b). Ministry of Women and Child Development. High Level Committee on Status of Women in India. New Delhi. http://wcd.nic,in/tender/hlcwdtd23012013.pdf
Planning Commission (2007). Eleventh Five Year Plan, 2007-2012, New Delhi. http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/fiveyr/11th/11_v1/11th_vol1.pdf
UNICEF (2009). The state of the world’s children. Geneva, Switzerland. http://www.unicef.org/cotedivoire/SOWC_2009_.pdf
Vanneman, R., Desai.S & Vikram, K. (2012). Son preference in India. University of Maryland, College Park. MD. http://paa2012.princeton.edu/papers/122478