http://www.sikhnet.com/news/indias-shifting-gender-roles-one-girls-taleAuthor: Rhitu Chatterjee Source: SikhNet, originally from PRI's The World
Sarita Meena, a 12 year old girl from a rural area of Northern India, wears short hair, plays sports, the villagers refer to her as her parents "son", and is part of the first generation of girls in her village to go to school. "Her home state, Rajasthan, is culturally conservative. There are strict norms about how girls and women should look and behave. They are supposed to be quiet and shy. Girls and women here rarely talk to strangers." Sarita's boysterous personality, playing with boys, and hopes for financial independence shows the changes in gender roles in India. Sarita's family is very supportive of her daughter, and also help illustrate how gender roles are changing in India, since Sarita's mother is one of the few adult women in the village who is literate, and they sent their two older daughters to another village to receive a better education, now their oldest daughter is in college.
Despite these indications of change, Sarita's life is still defined by traditional gender roles, such as knowing that once she becomes married, her real home is with her husband's family. Sarita's parents have only daughters, and without having a son, Sarita worries about who will care for her parents once they are old. "When we three sisters get married and go to our in-laws', then who is going to be here with Mummy? Who is going to make sure she eats well?" Sarita's parents also feel this worry, Sarita's mother says "If only she was a boy, we'd have been so fortunate," she says. "Our lives would have been complete."
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I thought this was a great story to listen too, I think it is interesting to learn about gender roles in other cultures. Be sure to watch the videos too.
