“My in laws and my husband did not keep me well so I have a complaint against them”…..

This is what a young complainant told me when she visited my office with her father. This question bothered me on various accounts and made me to look for answers.

We are still living in a society where the girls are believed to be belonging to the husbands family and the girls are made to believe so from birth. The parents raise them like ‘paraya dhan’ (others property) and once they are adult they are married off. When will this situation change? Why don’t parents realise that educating the girls and making them stand on their feet is equally important. If they are properly educated they can either get into jobs or start their own business and be financially independent. Through education they would be more aware of their rights and could also avail of various schemes of government. If there is focus on the education and empowerment of the girls then the age of marriage for girls will also increase which will benefit the society in many ways.

While discussing about the rights of girls there is also a need to educate and sensitise the boys. They must be told about the rights of the girls and their duties towards them. Family and schools in my opinion are the best places for making the boys and girls internalise various aspects of practical life.

There is a need to change the mindset of the parents and the society also. Everybody should support this initiative so that we don’t hear such kind of comments in future and girls become more confident to face any adverse situation in life.