Today it’s Girl Child Right Day in India. Girls need a lot of extra attention in this country. On every 1,000 boys below the age of 5 there are 912 girls. This means girls dissapear during the pregnancy of women. Families prefer sons because girls cost money for their dowry and girls move to the house of their parents in law. In a country without a social welfare system, only the sons take care of their parents at older age because they stay at their family home.
Income supports education
Indian girls need support from everyone in the world. Women on Wings’ mission is to create 1 million jobs for women in rural India. A job means an income for women, which offers them the opportunity to choose how to spend this money. Women in India spend their incomes on educating their children and setting them up for a better future. Also the girls.
Three girls in Delwara
Last November I met three beautiful girls in Delwara, Rajastan. Anjali, Shalini and Saloni. The mothers Durga, Sheela and Leelawati work with Sadhna, a cooperative of women embroidery. Durga was promised into marriage at age 6, Sheela at age 14 and Leelawati at age 7. The mothers have now their own income and make sure their daughters go to school. In just one generation the change is dramatic.
Two teachers and a chartered accountant
Anjali (15) said: “I want to become a chartered accountant. For this money is needed and also a lot of effort. So I am willing to put in all the effort and my mother is going to support me with money.”
Shalini (16): “I want to become a teacher. We do not have a lot of money. When I will have a job and earn money our troubles will be over.”
The youngest one, Saloni, 7 years old (see picture), has a dream to become a teacher as well. She already knows the international English alphabet and wrote it down on the wall when I was there.
Go Girls, you can make it! And we will support your mothers with jobs.
