O No I am Having a Girl!

By:Ms.K

            Your having a girl, four-letter word some women around the world don’t want to hear. Having a girl in a society that does not respect or value a daughter as much as they value having a son.  The vast reality of “Gendercide” exists and innocent girls are losing their lives each and everyday because they are not valued. Where is their presence? Where is their respect? The “Gendercide Awareness Project” is one organization that wants to bring awareness to this epidemic around the world. While it might seem like women in the U.S. are earning new levels of recognition, around the world women are still losing their lives.  An awareness of their struggle needs to be heard to save female lives.

The “Gendercide Awareness Project” wants to bring awareness to the innocent lives of girls being eliminated each and everyday because they are not seen as valued individuals internationally. “Gendercide Awareness Project” (2013) states  “Gendercide is the silent elimination of females in certain parts of the world through selective abortion, infanticide, severe malnutrition and medical neglect.” Being target because of their gender is inhuman, not being taken serious or valued because they were born a girl is wrong. Girls are being seen as trash, and worthless not only in society perspective, but also within their own families.

It’s not simply changing the mindset of a certain demographic, but bringing awareness to this problem worldwide. Families are not valuing the lives of their daughters because in their mind having a son brings pride, and helps the family. A religious verse states, “Let a female child be born somewhere else. Here let a son be born.” The Economist (2010) states, “for million of couples, the answer is: abort the daughter, try for a son. In China and northern India more than 120 boys are being born for every 100 girls.” While the data shows the numbers of girls being born are lower then boys think about the ones that are being eliminated from the equation. It’s not a blindsided problem that happening, it’s a sad realization that girls are not being born at the equal rate of boys and surviving.

Change must be made! The “Gendercide Awareness Project” wants to make sure women have a voice in their community and provide a presence online. They want to provide support for woman internationally through the use of baby booties from women cooperative. They understand that this cultural view will not change overnight, but they want to create awareness of the problem happening internationally. They are planning to open an art exhibit in Dallas, Texas 2016, where they are using “11,700 pairs of handmade baby booties from around the world. Each pair represents 10,000 missing women.”  They already reached 50% of their goal. They are partnering with Half the Sky that helps educate women’s lives through education, health care and mico-culture. People can help by donating baby booties or give money for the cause. People can even host a baby bootie making party at their home or at any local spot, where you can get a list of materials, example patterns, and invitation to their party.

“Gendercide” is an important issue that can’t be ignored because of lack of understanding. While I am now just learning that each year more girls are going missing because they are not boys it makes me want to get involve and help. I was drawn in after watching the documentary It’s a Girl because they made it relevant on what’s going on in India and China, and how a girl’s life is devalued simply because she was not born a boy. It’s puzzling to me how some women don’t think twice to kill their daughter after birth because it’s was not born a son. How little some women value their own girls lives because they only see them as being a burden? While I might not understand their culture I know being a woman has so much value. While some women fight to keep their daughters, it does not mean they don’t face problems or threats. The “Gendercide Awareness Project” wants to make a difference and bring awareness to this problem. The only thing that matter is saving these girl’s lives. Hilary Clinton said it right “When it comes to the enormous challenge of our time- to systematically and relentlessly pursue more economic opportunity in our lands- we don’t have a person to waste an we certainly don’t have a gender to waste.”

If you have time here the It’s a girl documentary (This documentary opened my eyes):

For more information on Gendercide visit:

http://www.gendap.org/index.html

Rated S is planning to host our first event a Baby Booty  Making Party t in April more information will be posted. We Want to make a difference and make the voices of Women around the world heard.