Even in the 21st century, when girls have taken the country to Mars or have broken multiple international sports records to show that they were no lesser than the boys, our society’s obsession with son is still prevailing.
A recent incident of a mother giving birth to a son after 11 daughters is a testament to the regressive thought process of our society.
The mother, a resident of Churu district in Rajasthan, had been the victim of repetitive taunts and jibes for not bearing a male child. But on November 20, Guddi gave birth to a son after 11 daughters.
As per the sources, the mother shared how she had undergone trauma for all these years as the local residents taunted and humiliated her for giving birth to daughters. The 42-year-old mother said that her eldest daughter is 22-years-old and three of her 11 daughters are married.
Out of the rest, three are studying in private school, the others go to government schools and two are yet to be enrolled in any school. It was not only the locals and neighbors but also her husband wished to have a son for the progeny to continue.
It is heartbreaking that even today a large segment of our society believes that only a male child carries the family name. Even though the government and authorities have run so many social campaigns to change the mindset of our society, it is sad to note that the situation hasn’t changed much.
Indian society’s obsession with son is still a major cause of concern for the county. Not only our society stigmatizes women, who give birth to daughters but also make the lives of daughters a living hell.
It isn’t the first time that because of societal pressure has pushed the couple to this extreme. Even in 2017, Rama Krishnappa, 45 and his wife, Bhagyamma, also gave birth to a son, who was the 12th child. This Karnataka-based couple said that there was huge social pressure on them.
It is heartbreaking to know that women face severe pressure to give birth to a male child even though biologically it isn’t in their hands. What broke our heart was the fact that this mother was even unable to recollect the names of all her daughters.
At IFORHER, we feel there is a small segment of our society who is bravely fighting against the retrogressive thought of our society. If you are one of those, please share your story to inspire many new parents and bring change in our society.