Chapter 2 cover photo credits: Mark Henley / Panos Picture

43

Stemming girls’ chronic poverty: Catalysing development change by building just social institutions

and community and spiritual leaders to raise awareness that 

female foeticide is a crime; rallies focusing on the need to stop 

sex determination tests and discrimination against girls; and 

encouraging people to take oaths against female foeticide. 

A similar multipronged initiative has been undertaken 

in China by the Care for Girls programme, which was 

undertaken in 24 counties on a pilot basis between 2003 and 

2005. The programme sought to reduce the imbalanced sex 

ratio by: promoting government leadership and ownership 

of the programme at all levels; cracking down on the non-

medical use of prenatal sex determination and sex-selective 

abortion; improving reproductive health services for women; 

supporting  girl-only  families  by  offering  special  benefits 

(including housing support for poor households, support for 

girls’ education and pensions); launching public awareness 

campaigns; and strengthening data management and 

evaluation systems related to birth registration, abortion and 

infant and child mortality by sex. Significantly, the programme 

contributed to a reduction in the sex ratio at birth from 133.8 

in 2003 to 119.6 in 2005, as a result of which it was extended 

nationally (Li, 2007). 

In India, the United States Agency for International 

Development (USAID), in partnership with the International 

Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), works through 

integrated multiple interventions. These include legal aid, 

advocacy, public information, training and research, to support 

and build change through the Dignity for the Girl Child 

programme, which brings together local and international 

organisations. The programme has led workshops on the high 

sex ratio with community leaders, in order to raise awareness 

of the problem. In response to the training, one participant 

from the Sikh community began community groups, in which 

women discussed the issue of foeticide in their communities. 

This inspired mass weddings where couples took an oath 

against foeticide (IFES, 2007).

Harnessing the power of the media has been another 

effective approach. In India, for example, a government–NGO 

partnership involving Plan International, the Edward Green 

Charity (and later IFES and USAID) and the government of 

India developed and broadcast a soap opera series to highlight 

the problems of sex-selective abortion to the general public. The 

soap used a Bollywood-style approach to examine issues such 

as the law against prenatal tests, gender poverty, anti-dowry 

laws, violence against women and potential social problems 

stemming from a biased sex ratio. An audience assessment by 

the New Delhi-based Centre for Advocacy Research (CAR) 

found that the drama resonated strongly with young women 

(see Box 20) but that, to reach older women and men, a more 

interactive approach to the development of the storyline 

would be required, so that they did not feel alienated by the 

programme. Overall, however, CAR concluded that there was 

considerable scope for serials to tackle such issues and for 

producers to do so while seeking regular viewer feedback.

27

 

Another important part of public education includes school 

curriculum reforms and especially the development of gender-

sensitive materials. This entails, for example, the inclusion of 

examples and images that show women and girls in positive 

roles, apply role reversal, increase the portrayal of women 

in public spheres and men in the private domain and avoid 

stereotypical family scenes, occupations and activities. The 

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF, 2006) documents 

a range of positive examples from Brazil, the Maldives and 

Vietnam which show men actively involved in infant and 

child care, young children involved in non-stereotypical 

gender activities (e.g. boys in the kitchen, girls playing with 

 

A BBC news story noted the following viewer impressions of 

the soap opera on sex-selective abortion: 

‘I wish my mother-in-law could see this film. Anyway now I 

have got a little strength to protest if this happens to me’ 

(Arundhuti, 25-year-old housewife with one son) 

‘We never thought that aborting female foetuses was a crime. 

I thought it was something very common […] this film made 

me realise about the seriousness of killing female foetuses’ 

(Neha Masti, 34-year-old housewife with two sons)

‘Surprisingly, I did not know about the law at all. Being a 

husband, at times we don’t understand our wives. This film 

made me understand never to force wives for such things. I 

need to discuss it with her’ (Santosh Kumar Singh, 31-year-

old father of a boy and girl) 

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4173597.stm

Box 20: The power of the media in reshaping 

gender-biased attitudes

Save the Girl Campaign image 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: www.bellevision.com/index.php?action=topnews&type=129

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44

2 | Son bias

construction toys) and non sex-segregated family interactions 

in Vietnam (see the images below). The Beijing + 15

28

 Regional 

Report for Asia and the Pacific

29

 also noted good practices from 

Singapore, where public education work was being carried 

out in conjunction with the Association of Devoted and Active 

Family Men and the Centre for Fathering, and from Hong 

Kong, where the Education Bureau is embarking on an ‘equal 

opportunities for all subjects’ initiative, rejecting the practice 

of streaming girls and boys.

As  discussed,  traditional  attitudes  towards  boys  and 

girls account for only part of the entrenched nature of son 

bias. Taking action to address parental economic concerns 

is also vital. Part of parental reasoning against investing in a 

daughter’s education is that male earning power is likely to be 

considerably higher. Even if a daughter does not marry early, 

and contributes to the household income while she is single, 

lower investments in girls’ education, gender-segmented 

labour markets and wage differentials mean that on average 

she will probably be less well remunerated than her brothers 

(Wang, 2005). Accordingly, promoting gender parity in 

schools and the enforcement of equal employment legislation 

are critical to tackle the broader structural discrimination that 

girls and women face outside the family, and in this way to 

enhance their intra-household status. 

In many societies the elderly in poor communities are often 

especially vulnerable; in order to reduce their reliance on their 

children (typically sons) for old-age support, advocacy around 

strengthening public investment in social protection systems 

is another important longer-term strategy. Wenjuan and Dan 

(2008)  argue  that  old-age  pensions  are  affordable  even  in 

middle- and low-income countries (as evidenced by examples 

in Shaanxi province in China,

30

 Lesotho, Mauritius and Nepal) 

and that they can play a critical role in reducing poverty and 

vulnerability at this stage in the lifecycle. Indeed, most older 

people live and share resources with children and, as such, 

pensions have a positive impact on child welfare as well, 

contributing to the interruption of the intergenerational cycle 

of poverty transmission. Pensions free up income to be spent 

Gender-sensitive school textbook images from Brazil, the Maldives and Vietnam

 

Source: UNICEF (2006)

PART FOUR

Strategies for

Introducing a Holistic

Approach

to Early Child

Development

41

Programming

Experiences in

EARLY  CHILD

DEVELOPMENT

This demystifying and simplifying of Early Child Development research can

easily be integrated into the work of healthcare providers and training of

community duty bearers from all sectors.

In both Maldives and Vietnam, television spots have been developed to

demonstrate the abilities of newborns. In Maldives, these were also adapted

for radio and print as well as used in training for caregivers and service

providers from all sectors.

Both girls and boys are born with the same potential

to develop skills in all areas.

Both girls’ and boys’ holistic development depends on the opportunities and

experiences they receive. For the brain and body of girls as well as boys to

fully develop they need equal nutrition, learning opportunities, and

encouragement to be physically active—yet safe, verbal—as well as quiet

and gentle, and to lead—as well as cooperate.

Many cultures have programmes and media to encourage girls to challenge

gender stereotypes, take more leadership roles and be more active. But

most have been slow in nurturing and encouraging young boys to overcome

stereotypical masculine (especially macho) behaviours, or to encourage

their verbal skills and gentler side.

Yet successful innovations on both issues have been addressed as part of

holistic Early Child Development approaches. Young boys as well as older

males have modelled actions that will lead to or are demonstrating that

males as well as females have a positive impact on the health, learning,

social, and emotional development of young children. Some examples

include:

A series of books for families from Brazil

33

 which show positive

male participation in the development of young children

Many cultures

have

programmes and

media to

encourage girls

to challenge

gender

stereotypes, take

more leadership

roles and be

more active. But

most have been

slow in nurturing

and encouraging

young boys to

overcome

stereotypical

masculine

behaviours, or to

encourage their

verbal skills and

gentler side.

PROGRAMMING

FOR EARLY CHILD

DEVELOPMENT

a holistic approach

to early years

PART FOUR

Strategies for

Introducing a Holistic

Approach

to Early Child

Development

42

42

Programming

Experiences in

EARLY  CHILD

DEVELOPMENT

A series of books for families from Maldives

34

show the impact of

positive family interaction on the development of healthy gender

roles for young children.

A series books for families from Vietnam

35

which show positive

family interaction and gender roles for young children (a boy

reading and a girl playing ball).

PROGRAMMING

FOR EARLY CHILD

DEVELOPMENT

a holistic approach

to early years

PART FOUR

Strategies for

Introducing a Holistic

Approach

to Early Child

Development

42

42

Programming

Experiences in

EARLY  CHILD

DEVELOPMENT

A series of books for families from Maldives

34

show the impact of

positive family interaction on the development of healthy gender

roles for young children.

A series books for families from Vietnam

35

which show positive

family interaction and gender roles for young children (a boy

reading and a girl playing ball).

---