gender equality

While in Jibhi the goal was to hike to the surrounding villages and with the use of a GPS, map the village and the location of its TB patients. The only way to get to the villages was by foot, not one was assessable by road. Keep in mind all the villages are tucked away in the mountains with no organization as to where they are located. Because the clinic was at the base of the mountain every village required an uphill hike. It was a great experience but exhausting. Once we reached the villages we mapped distinguishable points of the village such as a school or a temple. After we mapped we met with the locals, all of them were very nice!!!  The biggest village I saw was about 200 people, the smallest about 20. Most villages are in between but regardless they are small. Each village was laid out about the same way. You would enter and there would be a temple, a town center which is usually distinguished by a cement block, a preschool, an elementary school, very modest houses made out of wood and then a lot of land to farm. Not one village I went to had a middle school or high school, the older kids have to climb down the mountain to get to school.  Also education is a lot different than in the United States. All the children wear uniforms, they go to school six days a week, are off on Sundays for religious reasons and finally you have to pay to send your child to school regardless if the school is private or government run. One of the things I find so sad here is because you have to pay to send your child to school the sex ratio in the schools are uneven. Mostly boys are sent to school and girls are left at home. Not all Indians but many have a very traditional way of thinking when it comes to gender equality. A female is viewed as a burden to the family, basically another mouth to feed. Unlike men once a women is married off they leave their families leave their home and are considered her husbands and her husband’s families problem.  A man stays in the family, supports his parents, will carry on the family name, be able to inherit land and handle the money. A female can’t do this therefore why invest in her education. Because of sexism recently India has passed a law making it illegal for a doctor to tell the parents the sex of an unborn child because the government is trying to prevent female feticide. Thankfully India is making some progressing toward gender equality but in my option they have a long way to come. Everyone, male or female should have the right to an education.