Preference of Sons over Daughters
Discrimination against girl child is the direct outcome of son preference. Three major factors contribute to this preference.
First, the continued belief is the economic utility of sons as family labor, wage earners as well as support for parents during old age. Dowry also serves as an economic incentive to have sons just as it serves as a disincentive to have daughters.
Second, Socio-cultural factors like patrilineal descent and inheritance as well as other aspects of kinship building serve to create conditions that sustain female disadvantage and inequality.
Third, within religion sons have been accorded the unique privilege of performing various rites and rituals, including the last rites for deceased parents. All these factors create a higher premium on having sons.
Though religious and socio-cultural factors tip the balance in favour of boys especially in traditional societies, it is also true that no society has liberated itself economically, politically or socially without a sound base of educated women. Many country experiences around the world have demonstrated that investment in educating women is the most precious investment a society can make. Still, the gender gaps in education, i.e., the difference between the enrollment ratio of boys and girls and literacy ratio of men and women, exist in all the regions of the developing world. This becomes evident from following data of South Asia as a region and India as an individual country.
Discrimination against girl child is the direct outcome of son preference. Three major factors contribute to this preference.
First, the continued belief is the economic utility of sons as family labor, wage earners as well as support for parents during old age. Dowry also serves as an economic incentive to have sons just as it serves as a disincentive to have daughters.
Second, Socio-cultural factors like patrilineal descent and inheritance as well as other aspects of kinship building serve to create conditions that sustain female disadvantage and inequality.
Third, within religion sons have been accorded the unique privilege of performing various rites and rituals, including the last rites for deceased parents. All these factors create a higher premium on having sons.
Though religious and socio-cultural factors tip the balance in favour of boys especially in traditional societies, it is also true that no society has liberated itself economically, politically or socially without a sound base of educated women. Many country experiences around the world have demonstrated that investment in educating women is the most precious investment a society can make. Still, the gender gaps in education, i.e., the difference between the enrollment ratio of boys and girls and literacy ratio of men and women, exist in all the regions of the developing world. This becomes evident from following data of South Asia as a region and India as an individual country.
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