By acquiring three first positions including ten in top twenty-five for Civil Services Examinations conducted by UPSC, Indian women have exhibited that they are not less than men in any respect. It is indeed unfortunate that even now people in general, rich or poor alike, take birth of girl-child as bane rather than boon. Though in time to come, practically ‘Dowry’ system may take U-turn when it will become difficult to find suitable brides for eligible bachelor boys because of unnatural and disturbed sex-ratio created by large-scale female foeticide yet the Union government should take concrete steps so as to make people take birth of girl-child as a necessity.
Mere celebrating Girl-Child Day on January 24 every year is not enough. Registration of properties in women’s names showed remarkable rise in Delhi after stamp-duty on such deals was subsidised for women. Union and state governments should take all possible measures for similar concessions like reduction of VAT on items like vehicles registered in name of women. Some fields like dentists and gynaecologists in medical-science should be exclusively for women or at least 75 per cent reservation for women.
Females should have a sense of security by having automatic and instant rights in husbands’ ancestral and personal property but only for married life without divorce. Presently a girl child is taken as an unwanted burden because of increasing expenses in their marriages. India should follow Pakistan by allowing only soft drinks and simple beverages in marriage-related functions. Mega-budgeted marriages should not be attended by leaders on posts. Mega-expenses in marriage-related functions should be effectively checked by governance by imposing taxes and other such practical steps. But all this can happen when women who form the dominated section of society created by Nature, may be given 33 per cent reservation in legislature in our presently male-dominated political system.
[The writer is Guinness Record Holder for letters in newspapers. She can be reached at subhashmadhu@sify.com]