One-fifth of India's children face abuse:only 20% women had bank accounts and only 16% owned an asset like land or vehicle. Study-15/10/11

One-fifth of India's children face abuse: Study

TNN | Oct 15, 2011, 02.05AM IST



NEW DELHI: The future of children in India appears bleak, riddled by verbal and physical abuse and controlled by gender stereotypes. A study by child rights organization Plan India has found that one-fifth of the children reported facing abuse, only 20% women had bank accounts and only 16% owned an asset like land or vehicle.I HAD DONE A 4PAGE STORY ON ALL ASPECT OF IT IN "HASTASHEP PAGE" OF EARLEIR OFFICE.WE TREAT OUR GUEST AS GODS(ATHITHI DEVO BHAV),BUT AT TIMES MANY INSIDER WHO MAYBE OUR "DISTANT RELATIVES OR KNOWNS" CAN TURN OUT TO BE A CULPRIT,WHETHER A "THEFT" OR "SEXUAL HARRASSMENT" OR "A MISGUIDING PERSON TO YOUR YOUNGER ONES"....SO MUST GET YOUR SERVANT'S POLICE VERIFICATIONS DONE,BUT MUST KNOW YOUR GUEST AS WELL!!

...."TRUST" IS A BIGGEST EMOTION IN OUR LIVES BUT MUST MAKE YOUR YOUNG ONE'S AWARE OF ITS OTHER/FLIP SIDES AS WELL.

MANY MOVIES ARE ALSO MADE SHOWING SUCH ANGLE'S LIKE "KHUBSOORAT-(THEFT)","HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM","MONSOON WEDDING","KAREEB","TITANIC" NOT MENTIONING "GAJANI"ETC.

AT THE SAMETIME IF TALKING WITH THE ANGLE OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT HERE,I HAD SEEN MY MOTHER TAKING DECISIONS.FATHER USED TO GET MONEY FROM BANK, BUT IT WAS SHE WHO HAD BIGGER SAY IN DECISION MAKING ABOUT HOUSEHOLD THINGS(NOW MY SISTER'S/SISTER-IN-LAW'S OF BOTH SIDES DO TAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS INCLUDING SHOPPING OUTSIDE OR ABOUT TRAVELLING,WORK RELATED ...EVERYTHING WHICH MATTERS TO SELF/FAMILY/KIDS...OTHER THEN HOUSEHOLD THINGS-DEFINTLY WITH ELDERS CONSULTATIONS IF THEY'RE THERE)!!

...BUT MY MOTHER NEVER HAD SEPERATE BANK ACCOUNT(THOUGH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW DO HAVE JOINT BANK ACCOUNT WITH MY SASURJI AND SHE IS ALWAYS BEEN A DECISION MAKER IN A FAMILY TILL NOW).... NEITHER HAS A SEPRATE HOUSE/VEHICLE..AS SHE WAS NOT A WORKING WOMAN AND NEVER GOT ANY LOAN ON HER OWN NAME.

THAT'S NOT ONLY A TRADITION(MAYBE FEUDAL ALSO) STILL EXISTS IN OUR COUNTRY'S SOCIETY, BUT HAS SOME PRACTICLE REASONS ACCORDING TO TIME AS WELL!!!

I AM GIVING MY HOUSEHOLD EXAMPLE,AS A KID WE ALL BRO-SIS HAD SAVING BANK ACCOUNTS STARTED BY THEN BANK'S..."GULLACK SCHEME" FOR WHICH WE USED TO GET BONUS POINTS AND ANNUAL PRIZE TO A PERSON WHO HAD BIGGER SAVINGS(AS A KID),AND THEN IN COLLEGE FOR COLLEGE/HOSTEL FEES,THEN IN OFFICE FOR SALARIES.I STILL HAS A PERSONAL ACCOUNT AND ANOTHER ONE IS OF "ADITI FOUNDATION'S"!!I DO NOT OWN ANY VEHICLE/PROPERTY IN MY NAME... THOUGH I USED TO DRIVE FIAT(IN MY MAYKA) AND MARUTI HERE.I REFUSED LAND WHICH WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BOUGHT IN MY NAME IN BIKANER(WOMEN GET SUBSIDIES IN LOANS IN SOME SCHEMES)...BUT MY DAUGHTER DO HAVE AN ACCOUNT SINCE SCHOOL TIME FOR SUBMITTING FEES/IN COLLEGE/OFFICE...WE INCULCATED "GULLACK" SYSTEM FOR SAVINGS AT HOME WHICH SHE STILL HAS.

HAD FREELANCED ONCE TO PAINT A CHAIN OF 2 SHOWROOMS OF "NUNS" IN NOIDA/GURGAON,DURING COLLEGE DAYS,... BUT SHE WAS 18 THEN,SO WE NEVER PROMOTED "CHILD LABOUR".SHE DO OWN LAND/CAR ON HER OWN NAME!!EVEN OUR WORKING LADY AT HOME HAS BANK ACCOUNT WHICH GET HER GOVERNMENT PENSION ANNUALLY!!

WE DO GIVE AND RECIEVE GIFTS FROM CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS IN SOME OCCASIONS,BUT DO NOT PROMOTE DOWRY...ARE PRINCIPALLY/STRICTLY AGAINST IT.THOUGH DAUGHTERS DO HAVE THEIR RIGHTS IN PARENTS PROPERTY ALSO AND IF FEASIBLE,THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN IN A WAY OF HELP IN THE BEGINING OF NEW LIFE(ONLY IF THEY ARE IN NUCLEAR FAMILY AND ARE NOT MUCH FINANCIALLY EQUIPPED.AND NOT AGAINST TAKING ANYTHING PRINCIPALLY FROM EVEN PARENTS OR ANY FAMILY MEMBERS. AND EVEN IF NEEDED IN FUTURE AFTER MARRIAGE.THEY SHOULDN'T BE LEFT ALONE IF THEY'RE IN ANY FINANCIAL CRISIS AT ANY STAGE OF LIFE IN HUMANITARIAN GROUND..."MOVIE LIKE "HUM SATH-SATH HEIN" AND MANY MORE WITH THIS ANGLE WERE MADE SINCE AGES!!....VT

Of the children that reported abuse, 67% were victims of physical abuse, 44% verbal and emotional abuse. The issues of child protection are severe at home and in educational institutions and ironically, just as home and school top the places where abuse happens, these are also the two places that children feel most secure. The survey interviewed 6,000 respondents from all ages and gender.

Young women hold less bank accounts, property or vehicles as compared to young men. One-fifth of the young women (20%) reported having a bank account as compared to 37% of young men. Among women holding a bank account, only 55% reported that they could withdraw money without permission as compared to 78% young men.

Among men and women contacted, 18% reported ownership of any asset (21% young men and 16% young women). "Over 70% children in the age group of 10-14 years reported their father as the main decision-maker in the family," the study said. The study was carried out across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Karnataka.

The study said 80% girls in the age group 10-14 years were groomed at an early age for household chores such as cleaning and washing clothes. "The mindset to leave the onus of certain things on girls is deep rooted," Plan India executive director Bhagyashri Dengle said.

The report highlighted the attitudes and awareness of men and boys on gender equality and recommended strategies to engage men and boys in achieving this. Speaking on the occasion, Surina Narula, Plan India patron, said, "Across the country, girls face double discrimination because of their gender and age, leaving them at the bottom of the social ladder. Plan India's focus on the engagement of men and boys in achieving gender equality is aimed at bringing positive impact on society and economy.''