“Meri beti, beto se kam hai kya?”
(Is my Daughter less capable than a Son in any way?)
Questioning the Standard – The Male Son Standard
You must have often heard this Sentence. A statement meant to empower, to uplift.
But pause for a second… and ask – Why are Sons the standard? Why are we even measuring girls according to how they are equal to boys? Why do we need to say she’s “not less than” anyone at all?
Because in that very sentence meant to support her, we unknowingly accept that being male is the benchmark—and being a girl means catching up. And really, ask yourself- Why are we even comparing? Why are we still fighting for the same things boys get by default? Isn’t that just the bare minimum?
A Reality Check
Yes, times have changed. Cities glow with opportunities, and the world talks about empowerment. But let’s not forget—change isn’t equal everywhere.
Because in many corners of our country, especially in rural areas, girls are still fighting for the most basic rights –
The right to study beyond school.
The right to not be married at sixteen.
The right to work—even after marriage.
The right to choose the life they want to live, not the one they’re told to follow.
A Global Responsibility
And this isn’t just a personal issue, it’s a global goal. Gender Equality is not just an idea written in textbooks; it is SDG Goal 5 – the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Because how can a society move forward when half of it is still being told to stay behind? How can we speak of development, growth, and future if girls are still being taught to shrink their dreams to fit within the four walls of tradition?
The Sad Truth, The Reality, and the ongoing Debate
What is sad is that for many girls, this as a reality to be accepted willingly, and to spend their lives accordingly.
And maybe the saddest part of it all is that we’re still writing about it. Still fighting for something that should have always been there.
Still asking the world to let girls live their lives, to study without conditions, to work without judgement, dream without fear.
This shouldn’t be a debate. It shouldn’t need an article.
It should’ve been a given, a human natural right —like breathing, like dignity, like choice.
But here we are. Still raising our voices, still hoping the world listens.
Because until every girl is free to live life on her own terms, equality remains just a word, not a reality.
