“One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness; it is usually returned.”
Unknown
Author unknown
“Live simply so that others may simply live.”
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Saint and educator
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”
Albert Einstein
Physicist
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
Dalai Lama
Spiritual leader
Poverty is not gender-neutral — it hurts girls first
Poverty is not gender-neutral — it hurts girls first. Almost 22% of India’s population lives below the official poverty line. In families fighting simply to survive, it is almost always the girl who loses out first: she is pulled out of school, kept home for chores or sent out to work, while her brothers are fed, clothed and educated first. The cause is not money alone. In a society that values sons over daughters, poverty takes an existing bias and makes it cruel and visible. That is why the work of ending poverty and the work of valuing girls can never be separated.
When families are poor, girls are the first sacrifice
Parents facing economic difficulty respond by removing their daughters from school. Girls are expected to take over household chores or work in the fields to support the family. In the worst cases, poverty forces girls into child labour, where they are exploited.
In rural India, the potential of women’s economic contribution is grossly undermined. Families fighting poverty are doubly affected — the income a woman could earn is lost, while her domestic role continues to be devalued, keeping the family trapped in poverty and unable to support a daughter’s schooling.
What poverty looks like for a girl
Under-nourishment — girls from poorer families suffer the most from poor nutrition. With limited incomes it is an unspoken rule that brothers receive milk, fruit and eggs while the girl makes do with rice and lentils — or less. Surveys indicate women’s calorie intake is about 100 calories a day less than they expend, while men enjoy an 800-calorie surplus. This makes girls more susceptible to poor health and disease.
Poor sanitation — many village homes have no toilet. Men use the fields and public places, but women must wait for darkness or restrict what they eat all day. And because there is little awareness of sanitary pads, many girls simply stay home during their periods — and eventually drop out of school.
“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Leader of the Indian independence movement
Poverty is both a cause and a consequence
Poverty does not stand alone. It is deepened by the low value placed on girls and, in turn, deepens every other harm they face.
Gender Inequality — the root cause: girls are valued less, so they are fed and educated last.
