Beyond slogans

Haryana's Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) programme was launched in 2015 with much fanfare to address gender discrimination and improve the state’s skewed sex ratio. A decade later, however, recent tragedies expose the grim reality. Unable to bear the weight of expectations for a male heir, mothers of only daughters are succumbing to societal pressure. The suicide of Kiran, a mother of five daughters, in Hisar’s Raipur village on February 14 is a heartbreaking testament to this. While her family denies direct pressure, her distress over not having a son was evident. Similarly, Neelam, a mother of four daughters, ended her life along with two of her girls in January. These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of deep-rooted gender bias that no government scheme has been able to eradicate.

Despite the BBBP initiative, Haryana’s sex ratio at birth (SRB) remains a concern, declining to 910 girls per 1,000 boys by the end of 2024 — the lowest since 2017. The persistence of such figures signals that while awareness campaigns are loud, the societal mindset remains resistant to change. The tragedy extends beyond mothers. Newborn girls continue to be abandoned, their worth determined by outdated patriarchal norms.

Gender discrimination is not merely an economic or policy issue; it is a societal failure. Financial aid schemes like the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana or Kanyadan Policy cannot single-handedly erase centuries of entrenched bias. The need of the hour is grassroots-level transformation. Gender sensitisation in schools, active male participation in equality movements and strict monitoring of government schemes to ensure that they reach the most vulnerable families can make a difference. A decade after its launch, the BBBP must move beyond slogans. It’s time for Haryana to prove that its daughters are not just being ‘saved’, but also truly valued.