She is your daughter

“ SHE is not our daughter. SHE is our son. ”

Though spoken in a flamboyant and inflated tone, this sentence just summarizes what is still wrong with our society.
Even after such a long and continuous struggle for gender equality, congratulations, SHE still feels guilty for being
born a girl.
The first time SHE felt guilty, was when her grandmother scolded her mother for giving birth to a 3rd girl child.
The second time, when her relatives offered condolences to her family after her birth.
The third time, when SHE was denied the same education as her brother because she wasn’t a family asset.
The next time, when SHE hit her menarche. She felt really bad about rotting the pickle and infuriating the Gods
because of her impurity.
The fifth time, when SHE was called out as being ill-mannered when sitting with her legs open and playing with boys.
The sixth time, when SHE was slapped by her mother when she informed her about a very painful experience with
her uncle. SHE felt guilty and ashamed of her body.
The next time, when SHE had to leave her education midway because her parents wanted to get rid of the burden of
her marriage.

Next, when her husband turned a deaf ear to her loud cries in the bedroom and her in-laws continuously tortured her because of such a meagre dowry.
The one time she felt proud of herself was when she paid the hospital fees of her brother’s unfortunate bike accident
by working and toiling away as a tailor and being the only source of income in her family.
But at the very next moment, her father proudly said, “ SHE is not our daughter. SHE is our son. ” That was the last
time she felt guilty.
SHE is your daughter. SHE is not your son. SHE is as much as an asset or liability as your son. Take care of her.
Educate her. Believe her when she comes with those unbelievable tales about her uncle. Save for her education, not
her dowry. Make her a fighter. A rebel. So that SHE is fiercely proud of being a woman that SHE is.

-Arushi Jain & Khushal