Bengaluru may have a place on the world map as a progressive city, but scratch beneath the surface and every single age-old stereotypical type of gender discrimination against young females is intact in a rapidly urbanising India, more so among the urban poor. Reinforcing this is a study conducted by Child Rights and You (CRY, an NGO which works with about 200 partners across India) in Bengaluru based urban slum at Madiwala between August-September 2012.
The study states that despite much touted state education schemes aimed specifically at the girl child, the urban poor here, place a premium on marriage over schooling, for the girl child. Among the sample population of 100, taken up for the study, 67% of the respondents believed girls should get married rather than go to school, while the reverse was true with the boy child.
The more surprising figure that came out during the survey was that about 80% of the respondents were not even aware that several education schemes are exclusively available for girls in the State. “Few people in the urban slums are even aware that free and compulsory education in primary and upper primary level exists” said Regina Thomas, Director, South, CRY.