Gender Marginalization and Gender Discrimination in Punjab, India: The Study of Son Preference and Lower Status of Girl Child in Two Villages

Gender marginalization is by now an accepted theoretical concern and enough empirical evidence is available to substantiate a strong presence of gender discrimination, oppression and subordination in all societies, whether developed, developing or the underdeveloped. The status of women in a society is a significant reflection of the level of social justice in that society. A girl is disadvantaged from the time she is born. In most developing and under-developed countries today, the girl child has a lower status and enjoys fewer of the rights, opportunities and benefits of childhood than the boy child who has first call on family and community resources. The situation of the girl child results commonly from prejudices rooted in culture and customs. The birth of a daughter is unwelcome. Marked preference for sons has led to the neglect of the girl child. Improvements in literacy, fertility rate and greater workforce participation of women have not significantly improved the lot of the girl child. The purpose of this study is to compare and understand variations in status of girl child in the Punjabi family. The paper is based on primary data collected through interview schedule method from total 50 respondents out of which 25 respondents from Fatehpur village in Rupnagar district of Punjab and remaining 25 respondents from Badheri village in Chandigarh respectively. The paper likes to highlight that despite efforts by the government for equality between both the sexes in terms of health, nutrition, employment, education etc. there has not been significant change in the status of girl child. The patriarchal values are so culturally deep rooted in the minds of the people that they always give preference to male child and female child is still unwanted and has to be eliminated through abortions.