Introduction

The Hunger Project Online Briefing Program  The Condition of Women in South Asia Page 2 of 25

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1. Unwanted From Birth

Oh, God, I beg of you,
I touch your feet time and again,
Next birth don't give me a daughter,
Give me Hell instead...
-Folk Song from Uttar Pradesh, India

A person has to have sinned in his past life to be born a woman.
–Ancient Indian Proverb

Pray for a boy

(Photo by Sondeep Shankar)

A baby girl in South Asia is born into a family that had wished and prayed for a boy. For thousands of years, South Asian families have valued their sons more than daughters. They expect that sons will carry on the family name, and provide for the family economically. Daughters will eventually be married into their husband's family. They are never considered real members of their parents' family. As an Asian proverb says, "bringing up girls is like watering the neighbor’s garden." The money spent to raise and care for a daughter is often considered "wasted." As a result, a girl child receives unequal care and opportunities throughout her life. As we will see in the coming pages, the deeply rooted inequalities between women and men hold hunger in place in South Asia.

The tradition of dowry

• The view of girls as a burden to the family is tightly connected to the traditional practice of dowry.

• Dowry is the money, land or other possessions that a woman must bring to her husband when she is married.

• Dowry is a cultural practice, without foundation in any major religion. Its roots can be traced back to the beginning of South Asian society. Experts say its practice "has reached shocking proportions" in the last fifty years in South Asia.

• Although giving dowry is formally illegal in both India and Bangladesh, it persists at all levels of society.

• In addition to dowry at the time of marriage, there are other ceremonies after marriage - including pregnancy and childbirth - when the daughter's family is expected to provide other monetary gifts.

• Payment of dowry is financially debilitating for many families. Dowry can be as much as five times a family's annual income. Many rural families are forced to sell land and go into debt to accommodate the dowry demands.

• A daughter thus represents a severe financial burden, which families seek to overcome at all costs.

• At the most drastic level, this means not even allowing a girl child to live.

Introduction

The Hunger Project Online Briefing Program  The Condition of Women in South Asia Page 2 of 25

Missing