CNS: girl child

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African Union heeds the voices of girls in distress

Catherine Mwauyakufa, CNS Correspondent, Zimbabwe

Tadiwanashe, 3rd from right, receiving a scholarship in Addis Ababa

Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think that she would fly! Never did she ever think that she would address heads of states and other important delegates in a pre-conference session. Yet, all this became a reality for Tadiwanashe Naghaina, a 19 year old rural girl from Murehwa, Zimbabwe.

Malaysian PM Haji Abdul Razak

Bobby Ramakant - CNS
A girl in Malaysia today is more likely to go to a university than a boy. “65% students enrolled in tertiary colleges are women” said Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak at Women Deliver 2013. While many countries are grappling to bring down deaths of women during pregnancy and child birth, Malaysia’s maternal mortality rates have dipped down by nearly half today compared to what they were in 1990. And undoubtedly Malaysian economy is strong in the region (USD 1 = RM 2.84).

Kulsum Mustafa
Nautanwa (Maharajganj district in Uttar Pradesh): Statistics never lie - they only help unravel some harsh truths. Like many social indicators in Maharajganj district only confirm that this district is one of the most undesired places for girls to live in. While 73.6 per cent of females here marry before the legal age of 18 years, the female literacy rate is a mere 28 per cent. One can find a child bride in almost every second home. While poverty, human trafficking, low birth registrations are some of the other major issues which the residents are battling with, child marriage undoubtedly tops all these concerns.

[हिंदी] Right to education (RTE) is a top priority, said Dr Dinesh Sharma, Mayor, Lucknow, who was addressing a Child Rights Convention in Lucknow. Over two hundred school children including some differently abled children, hailing from various districts of Uttar Pradesh participated in this convention. Added Dr Sharma: Every child must understand that duties must come first and then rights. He advocated a uniform system of education for all children, regardless of their socio-economic background.

A consultation, to draft a policy to correct the trend of declining sex ratio for the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was organized by ActionAid and Saajhi Duniya. UP has a dismal sex ratio of 908 and a child sex ratio of 899, which is even worse than the corresponding national average of 940 and 914 respectively. "In UP the child sex ratio is continuously declining. There is a 17 point fall in the child sex ratio in the decade 2001-2011," said Professor (Dr) Roop Rekha Verma from Saajhi Duniya, who is also the former Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University. The main driver is undoubtedly deeply entrenched gender-based inequalities, and obvious culprit seem to be the healthcare personnel who perform sex selective abortions, in gross violation of the Pre conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex selection) Act (PCPNDT Act), and yet remain scot-free.

The 23rd of October 2012, is the last day of the Hindu festival of Navratra—the nine days’ regimen of fasting and feasting, which is celebrated in its various nuances—Durga Pooja (worshipping goddess Durga); the rhythmic Garba dancing; the night long singing of bhajans (devi jagran); the Ramlila (enactment of life of god Rama), with the celebrations culminating on the tenth day by immersing the statues of the goddess in the river (from dust unto dust) and burning the effigy of the demon king Ravana (triumph of good over evil). However there is one common thread that links all these different forms of festivities—the feeding of the kanya (girl child) on the seventh, eighth and ninth days.

The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) is a much awaited initiative in Uttar Pradesh. And Rightly so with hopes of both, the government agencies as well as the private NGOs and activists pinned on the scheme for a better, safer and a more organized system of ushering in a protective environment for children in the state. Once implemented the ICPS is being touted as the ultimate accountability apparatus for care and protection as well as an effective juvenile justice system in the state.

(Names of children have been changed to protect their identity) 12 year old Kushan, has just turned into a Juvenile in Conflict with Law. His crime-shooting dead his step mother with his father’s revolver. While the act itself may sound quite scandalous, what is even more outrageous is the fact the child despite having surrendered to the police himself post the shooting, and clearly showing no malafide intention that precipitated the act, has been allegedly apprehended and sent to an observation home in Muzzaffarnagar, UP being treated as an aberrant.

Women In The Forefront Of The Fight Against HIV/AIDS

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) Inter governmental meeting on HIV/AIDS and Millennium Development Goals was held in Bangkok from 6th to 8th February, 2012. During the meeting, an event “The Gender Agenda: Making HIV Responses Work for Key Affected Women and Girls”, focusing on the female face of HIV was also held, during which women delegates spoke on the challenges and gaps in the existing programmes.

[हिंदी][Images] Two films, "Diamonds" and "In Women's Hands" were screened by CNS in Lucknow on Saturday, 26th November, 2011, in the lead up to World AIDS Day, 1st December 2011, and to mark 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, which is an international event seeking gender equality in society, and lasts through November 25 (International Day against Violence against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day) every year, to emphasize that gender-based violence is not merely a women’s issue but it is a fundamental issue of violation of human dignity and human rights.

The recent incident of a five year old being raped and murdered by her neighbour in New Delhi is yet another example of the increasing numbers of children who face sexual abuse. Add to that the case of a child from Kanpur who was sexually abused by her school teacher and died as a result, and a disturbing trend of children under threat will emerge. But in Uttar Pradesh such instances have not been few. In Sept 2009, 13 year old girl was found dead and her 7 year old friend was found lying unconscious with her hands amputated and knife wounds and burn marks on her body on the railway tracks near Manak Nagar, in Lucknow.

Commenting on declining child sex ratio, Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, said that the day is not far when there will be "no girls to marry" and men will "all become gays" (Source: The Indian Express, 15 April 2011). We believe that the Indian minister has not only conveyed a misconstrued understanding on sexuality but also appalling sense of gender-based inequalities that continue to fuel discrimination and violence against women in communities across India. His remarks also smell of male domination and obsession with interests of men only.

Diabetes in women, especially pregnant women, is having far reaching health ramifications in India. According to Dr Anoop Misra, "Women should be more addressed not only for diabetes but also for heart disease and should be targeted in a special way for prevention programmes. They gain weight in each pregnancy. As their age increases, weight also increases and so do chances of high blood sugar. Events preceding blood sugar elevation are more prevalent in women than in men. So we foresee that in future diabetes will be more prevalent in women."

On this year's World Health Day, let us focus on addressing issues that can improve health status of women. A wide array of socio-economic, cultural and gender-based inequalities continue to aggravate risk for women. It is high time we took a serious note of the health disorders in women arising due to age old dietary habits, coupled with changing life styles and static mindsets. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, conducted a country wide, 3 year long multi centric study (2005 – 2008) on nutrition related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in women over 35 years of age.

Neelam, 15 yrs, teaches
at the village school
Photo credit: Anjali Singh

Thakurainganj, Ralpur: For twelve year old Akash who suffers from a rare nutritional deficiency which has rendered him a midget, living in Thakurainganj, District Ralpur, Raebareli does not hold any special significance. Given the fact that it also happens to be the high profile constituency of Congress supremo, development and progress is still a far cry in this area. The sheer penury in which people live comes as a shock specially so when children pay the price of such neglect. Low nutritional index, lack of sanitation and hygiene and children with preventable birth defects add to the already existing woes of the people being outcasts owing to their caste. But even in such trying times hope prevails thanks to the initiative taken by women who being unread themselves make a strong case for education for their village and community, their age and gender notwithstanding.

This is not sensational news but in spotlight because CNS recently reported that genital tuberculosis was one of the lead causes of tubal infertility and only 2 per cent women with genital TB delivered live births. It was a very positive news that a woman with genital TB successfully completed anti-TB treatment and then due to in-vitro fertilisation technique, also succeeded in giving births to normal baby (well, two babies in this case!). The Hindustan Times (Lucknow, 25 March 2011) reported that: "Deepti of Rajajipuram, married for eight years, delivered twins (male children) on Wednesday after being treated at the fertility centre of the Queen Mary's Hospital. The in-vitro fertilisation technique helped the woman conceive. Earlier, she was unable to conceive due to genital tuberculosis (TB)."

A two day convention of rural women leaders, which was held on 24th and 25th March,2011, in the east Uttar Pradesh town of Mau, brought together over 400 women leader delegates from 10 districts of eastern UP, to share their bitter and sweet experiences under the umbrella of the "Empowering Rural Women-ERW" program. Under the banner of this program, over 40,000 women from the marginalized and backward communities of this backward area, (of an already backward state), have formed ‘women collectives’ or Nari Sanghs in 253 Gram Panchayats (village councils), and are working ceaselessly towards claiming their entitlements, with special emphasis on right to food and right to work. They are also demanding their rightful place in the political and social arena.

Lucia Victor Jayaseelan
Executive Coordinator, CAW

International Women's Day, 8th March
While much achievement has been made in the past decades, women workers across Asia still struggle for more rights and equality. They need to find more ways to make their voices heard, such as engaging in politics, speakers at a seminar in Bangkok said in the run up to International Women's Day (March 8). "Women found their voices. Power must come from within," Jurgette Honculada of the Committee for Asian Women (CAW) said about the gains made in Asia. But obstacles in gaining rights remain, she emphasized, 'from companies, state and men in our lives'. "Politics is the name of the game. Women should not simply wait for the crumbs falling from the table of the master, but try to take their place at the table of decision making," Honculada said, stressing that if something is not written in a law 'it is here today, gone tomorrow'.

Newly elected CWC members from UP

A sincere effort was made to encourage the Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) to be more proactive in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) to preserve the best interest of the child by fostering child rights. The duration of survival of the child, right to life, right to inclusion and protection were key indicators the meeting focussed on. This two-day sensitization workshop was organised jointly by the Women Welfare Department, UP Government and SATHI, an organisation working for children in difficult situations. It was attended by newly elected CWC members from 71 districts of UP and Superintendents of government homes that house children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law.

The cause of the right to education for minority girls was taken up quite effectively at a zonal seminar on "Empowerment of Minority Girls Through Education" at the Department of Education, Karamat Husain Muslim Girls' Post-Graduate College in Lucknow. Organised under the ageis of National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, Government of India and Committee On Girls Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), Government of India, the seminar was attended by delegates from Uttar Pradesh (UP), Uttarakhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh (MP) and other states of India.