Proof of the blatant gender inequality that prevails in India lies in the fact that girl children are still considered to be a burden in a large number of Indian families. So much so that, in some regions of Maharashtra, they are not given a name but are merely termed ‘ Nakusha’, meaning ‘unwanted’ at their birth.
In families that have been blessed with a bunch of girl children, second or third daughters are christened ‘ Nakusha’. They are quite literally the unwanted.
It is no secret that in the Indian society, a male child is preferred over a girl child. Riding on the waves of a shoddy history of rampant female infanticide and foeticide in the country, a plethora of laws have been passed in the efforts to eradicate this glaring gender disparity. Despite all of that, The World Economic Forum’s 10th Global Gender Gap Report revealed that India has the third worst sex ratio at birth, in the world.
Seeking to challenge mindsets, the local government held a naming ceremony for these so called ‘unwanted’ girls.
As part of BBC’s 100 Women project, 3 young girls were interviewed about their experiences, their dreams and how their lives have changed since they were rechristened.
Watch their heartbreaking account here:
Feature image used for representation purpose only.