First set of case studies ....
Trip Start
Sep 03, 2006
1
10
32
Trip End
Jan 30, 2007
Nalgonda,
India
Saturday, October 14, 2006
I am finding that the problems for these girls are more intense then I first imagined
Classroom at an MVF bridge camp
. They become restricted as soon as they "mature" (begin to menstruate). There is usually an event held in the village to celebrate the girls maturity ... and this is where the process of marrying the girl off starts. Most of the girls I met were married between the ages of 10-13. One was only 8 years old when the name of her future husband was tattooed on her forearm ... her husband was also her uncle. These girls face enormous challenges ... they are viewed as a burden by their family. Getting them educated is viewed as a waste because any income they may procure will go to their husband's family. The point is to get the girl married young so the dowry is low. The girl will typically work from the age of 9 or so to contribute to the family income or to collect funds for her dowry. These girls are mainly working in the agricultural sector (primarily cotton) and also as domestic help in their own homes ... and in the homes of their in-laws. In a large number of cases MVF steps in before the child is married - or shortly thereafter. They stop the marriage by contending that the child has a right to an education. This is important ... MVF essentially redefines the position of these girls in their communities ... they remind people that they are children NOT women.
The pressures are so great for these girls
Cricket with boys at bridge camp
. I have interviewed 25 so far. One in particular deserves to be highlighted. I interviewed 21 year-old Narsamma from Ranga Reddy district. In the interview she told me about her marriage at the age of 10 after she completed 4th standard. She went to live with her husband's family, was taken out of school, and forced to work in cotton and maize fields. Her husband fell ill with tuberculosis a few months after the marriage and her parents took her back to live with them and return to school. Even when she was back in school her mother in-law would take her on a regular basis to work in the fields and told her she should bear her son's children, claiming that Narsamma was required to fulfill her duties as a wife. She had to quit school in 6th standard, and this is where MVF came in and convinced her parents to allow Narsamma to enroll in a MVF bridge camp. They agreed, and she was mainstreamed into 8th standard and lived at a government social welfare hostel for 8-12. When we spoke she had completed 12th standard and was in the first year of a three-year nurse training program. She was a stellar example of what one can achieve if they are determined to succeed. She even noted in the interview that the difficulties for girls can be addressed if we had more girls to be proper examples for others in the community. I was shocked to hear two days after our interview Narsamma committed suicide by ingestion of pesticides. Why would a girl who was so accomplished thus far, who had such practical goals, kill herself? I was told there will be no investigation, no autopsy
Dancing with boys from MVF bridge camp
. Who is to say that she was not murdered? I have expressed my concern to Shantha and Venkat, and I got the same message: this happens all the time, you must accept it; there is nothing you can do.I assume they are right. There is nothing that I can do for Narsamma, and I do not know that I have any place to speak out against what happened to her. I just feel shocked and deeply hurt by the thought of her death. Since hearing this I have become all the more invested in my research and more troubled by the position of girls and women in this society. In all the Ranga Reddy interviews the girls expressed a similar sentiment; that girls are not treated equally just because they are girls.
In my discussion with Shantha and Venkat earlier they noted that MVF pushes it rights-based approach as a way to transcend identity. Unlike other organizations that focus on gender discrimination, MVF focuses on children and their rights. They argue that the advantage of this approach is that in focusing on rights we are able to demand education for all children irrespective of gender, caste, religion etc. I feel that my work here is to see if this approach is working for these girls - and if it is, in what ways. If Narsamma did commit suicide, what made her decide that it was not worth it to fight anymore? What was she fighting for? Why did she have to fight so hard?
This is definitely a patriarchal society. If I could make one suggestion to MVF it would be to start thinking about gender more, particularly within the organization. 95% of the employees at MVF are men in their 30's and 40's. In my opinion, being conscious of this and doing something about it is imperative. Some may consider giving "special concessions" to women will do little to promote fairness and equality - I feel that breaking apart this patriarchal system will not happen organically. It needs to be forced, and men and women alike will have to unlearn roles they have been taught to accept as natural. There is nothing natural about treating girls like a burden and boys like a gift.
