Humiliated, Assaulted and Prostituted for having Daughters, Mother of Two Seeks Justice and Dignity

Published on 14 April 2022

Abused, disowned, prostituted, and shamed—one can only imagine the horrors Sunita*, a 26-year-old mother in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, had to endure at the hands of her husband, Roshan*, all because she was expected to 'give' him a son!  

Sunita and Roshan got married in April 2010. After trying for a year, they had their first child, a girl, in December 2011. Instead of jubilation at the birth of the new baby, Roshan and her in-laws’ demeanor towards Sunita altered drastically overnight.  

"They asked me how I dared to deliver a girl. They wanted a boy," said Sunita. “My husband did not see any value in me anymore. He even invited his friends to sleep with me in exchange for money.” Roshan and his parents were so infuriated that Sunita failed to give them a son that they abused Sunita and her daughter for years because of this. 

Encouraged by his parents, Roshan also married another woman and now has a son with his second wife.  

Sunita gave birth to a second daughter in May 2017. This was the last straw for Roshan. He went as far as threatening Sunita to abandon the two daughters or face dire consequences. There were even plans to sell Sunita and her daughters off into sex trade. 

Sunita and her daughters

For Sunita, her daughters’ safety was the utmost priority. She had wanted to escape for a long time, but she had no support or income to rely on. Her own parents disapproved of this decision. In early 2018, with incredible resilience and bravery, Sunita mustered the courage and finally ran away from her marital home with her two young daughters. Determined to build a better life for them, she found a job as a salesperson and found a house to rent. 

Sadly, even after Sunita was separated from her husband, the harassment did not end. Roshan and his second wife found various ways to humiliate and hurt them. They edited fake obscene photographs of Sunita and her daughters and circulated these doctored images along with Sunita’s personal contact details on WhatsApp and Facebook, resulting in terrible hardship for Sunita and her young daughters. 

Desperate, Sunita reached out to ADF India allied lawyers for help. She has filed a private complaint in the Dhanbad court, and an FIR has been lodged against her husband and those involved. Our allied lawyers are working to ensure she has the protection she and her daughters so desperately need.   

“As a team, with many who themselves are parents to daughters, ADF India is standing firm with Sunita and her daughters to ensure that they receive justice”, said Adv. Rajlakshmi, ADF India allied lawyer. 

In India, women face extreme societal pressure to produce a son. Mothers bear the full brunt of the scorn and shame that arise from the birth of a girl child. Many face violence or abandonment in terrifying degrees, as seen in Sunita’s case. Many are still silent.  

The Child Sex Ratio in Jharkhand has dropped from 965 females per 1,000 males in 2001 to only 948 in 2011 as per government census. This clearly exposes daughter-aversion in the state. While the birth of a son is welcomed with distribution of sweets, fanfare and festivities, the birth of a daughter is considered a curse and attracts ridicule and even assault. 

LEGAL AID AND PREGNANCY HELPLINE 

ADF India provides free legal assistance through our panel of allied lawyers to women whose unborn girl children face in any way a hindrance to L.I.F.E (Love, Inheritance, Freedom, Equality). To know more, please visit www.adfindia.org/legal-aid.  

You may also call the pregnancy helpline at 0444 631 4300 or visit www.pregnancyhelpline.in 

SUPPORT 

We invite you to join us in defending the life, liberty and the inherent dignity of women like Sunita and her daughters. To support our work, donate here. Your financial gift today will transform a life tomorrow. 

*name has been changed to protect the privacy of individuals 

Young Mother Disowned For Giving Birth To A Girl

Bhavna*, a young mother in Dhanbad, Jharkhand was disowned by her husband of three years in May 2020. She was abandoned for giving birth to a girl against the wishes of her husband and his family.

Bhavna with her daughter

After their marriage, Bhavna and her husband began living with his family, which included his parents, his elder brother and sister-in-law. Just two months into the marriage, Bhavna, 23 at that time, started getting harassed daily by her in-laws who demanded more dowry from her. Bhavna’s parents had already given her husband’s family 1.5 lakh rupees at the time of their marriage. She had to endure severe emotional and physical abuse in her marital home because she and her family could not meet their demands. Many times, they even forbade her from eating food or drinking water. Bhavna’s husband made no effort to protect her, instead he himself regularly inflicted abuse on her.

Bhavna’s struggles in her marital home worsened when she became pregnant. On January 25, 2020, halfway through her pregnancy, her husband and in-laws ganged up on her and beat her up. Blood poured out of her mouth as she was being attacked. She feared for her baby’s life and herself and managed to call her sister who came and rescued her. Bhavna had to be hospitalized because of the severity of the injuries she sustained from the attack. Thankfully, she did not lose the baby. Bhavna began staying with her parents after this incident. 

Bhavna gave birth to a girl on 28 May, 2020. Her parents had no means to support her daughter or the baby. Bhavna herself is uneducated and unemployed. In an effort to reconcile, Bhavna’s parents reached out to her in-laws on the phone. However, her husband refused to even come to see the baby. 

On 1 August, 2020, Bhavna’s parents took her back to her marital home with the baby. Her husband and in-laws, on finding that it was a girl, refused to accept the child as theirs. They said a girl child was of no worth to them. The in-laws also harshly informed them that they were looking for a more suitable bride for their son to marry, a bride who could bring a handsome dowry with her. They humiliated Bhavna’s family further by spewing insults at them and threw them out of the house.

This was the last straw of injustice for Bhavna. Gathering courage, she decided to fight for her daughter and herself. She filed a complaint at the Women’s Cell on 2 August, 2020. The authorities advised her husband to reconcile with his wife and take care of her and the child. However this led to no effective outcome. 

Bhavna heard of the legal aid services provided by ADF India's Vanishing Girls Campaign through a friend and reached out to us. Our allied lawyers helped her file another complaint with the Women’s Cell and a Domestic Violence petition against her husband and in-laws seeking monetary damages for what she had to undergo at their hands. An application seeking maintenance has also been filed on her behalf. 

Bhavna's case was admitted by the Court on 9 August 2021 and our allied lawyers were directed to file the notice to the husband. We hope for favorable hearing in this matter and hope that the final order will be passed in the Maintenance case by the end of March, this month.

Carrying out sex-selective abortions and demanding dowry are punishable offences under Indian law, but very often these crimes go unreported and therefore unpunished. In India, every day, 7000 girls are killed in the womb, just because they are girls. More than 20 women are killed everyday in our country due to the evil practice of dowry. These statistics reflect the low value that Indian society places on women and girls. Their right to equality is routinely violated even 70 years after the Indian Constitution came into force. There is no denying the fact that women in India have made considerable progress in the last fifty years but they continue to struggle due to social evils like son-preference and dowry. 

A research study has shown that the most immediate cause of son-preference or sex-selective abortion is the perception of daughters as economic and social liabilities due to factors like dowry costs, protection of daughter’s chastity and concern about her marriage. Mothers bear the full brunt of the scorn and shame that come from the birth of a female child. They consequently become victims of abuse, beatings, abandonment and sometimes, even murder.

“You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women.”  - Jawaharlal Nehru

ADF India is committed to cultivating a future where human dignity is affirmed for all women and girls. Through our Vanishing Girls campaign, we advocate for the right of all women and girls to be loved, to have equal rights to the family inheritance, and to have their freedoms protected and promoted.

ADF India provides free legal assistance through our panel of allied lawyers to women like Bhavna who suffer for giving birth to girls. For more details, visit www.adfindia.org/legal-aid.

*name has been changed to protect the privacy of individuals

Her Canvas 2021 - Contest Winners

Her Canvas, a nationwide art competition that took place in January 2021, invited school students to paint, sketch or draw on the theme "Isn’t She Precious!" to celebrate the inherent worth of the girl child.

The art contest was part of a 40-day collaborative Vanishing Girls Campaign countering the false narrative that girls are a liability. It promoted the message that Daughters Deserve LIFE, where LIFE stands for Love, Inheritance, Freedom and Equality.

The Contest received over 1,800 entries, with 103 schools participating from 18 Indian states. Hundreds of children engaged on the topic and will grow up refusing to participate in social evils like sex-selective abortion.

Find the winning entries below:

WINNING ENTRIES

Tejaswaani Kapoor, 15, Uttar Pradesh, captures the warm bond of love between a mother and her daughter.
Tanisha Shilen, 17, Rajasthan, urges every one to let the Girl Child be born into the world and like flowers be given the opportunity to bloom in her strength and unique beauty.
Purva Kumta, 15, from Maharashtra expresses, “My painting depicts the girl child as who she truly is, a work of art. We always celebrate great woman. But to be great, the girl child needs to be encouraged and empowered to excellence from an early age. My painting emphasizes on the need to create an atmosphere of love, peace and equality for the girl child.”
Gargi, 15, Delhi, has creatively depicted in vibrant colours the inherent worth of the Girl Child.
Pragnya Kabi, 8, Maharashtra, aptly captures the theme of our contest: Daughters Deserve LIFE - Love, Inheritance, Freedom, Equality!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Saisha Verma, 15, from Chhattisgarh says "Girl Child Day is the only day dedicated to the little angels of our families. This day allows us to admire the daughters, their contributions and the splendor they bring to our homes".
Akshaj Dhadwal, 14, Delhi, has an important message through his art - "If girls are given better opportunities they can do even better than they are already doing despite the challenges they face. We should help and support them. It is the most significant need in the world at present."

List of Schools that participated:

Total: 103 schools from 18 Indian states.

SchoolState
1Air Force Golden Jubilee InstituteDelhi
2Akshar Arbol, ChennaiTamil Nadu
3Amruta Vidyalayam, MumbaiMaharashtra
4Auxilium SchoolTelangana
5Bethany High School, SarjapurKarnataka
6Bharti Public SchoolDelhi
7Buxi Jagabandhu English Medium SchoolOdisha
8Cambridge, Kandivali EastMaharashtra
9Dav Public School, NehrulMaharashtra
10Delhi Public School, PanvelMaharashtra
11Divine Mercy High SchoolGoa
12Dr. R. K. S. Masters Matric Higher Secondary SchoolTamil Nadu
13Eve's High School, AlwalTelangana
14Fr. Agnel Co. Ed. Sr. Sec. School, BhopalMadhya Pradesh
15Fransalian School Of Excellence, AurangabadMaharashtra
16Good Samaritan School, JasolaDelhi
17Good Samaritan, BijnorUttar Pradesh
18Good Shepherd International AccademyMaharashtra
19Greenpark International School, NamakkalTamil Nadu
20Guru Nanak Higher Secondary SchoolJharkhand
21Gurukul Olympiad SchoolMaharashtra
22Happy Model SchoolDelhi
23Heritage SchoolUttar Pradesh
24Jankidevi Public SchoolRajasthan
25K R Mangalam World School, FaridabadHaryana
26Kanaidighi Deshapran VidyapithWest Bengal
27Kendriya Vidyalaya JanakpuriDelhi
28Lakshdham High SchoolMaharashtra
29Leah Jones High School, KrishnaAndhra Pradesh
30LifeschoolKarnataka
31Little Flower High SchoolTelangana
32Mahoday Senior Public SchoolDelhi
33Mithibai CollegeMaharashtra
34Mount Carmel School, Anand NiketanDelhi
35Mount Carmel School, DwarkaDelhi
36Mount Zion AcademyTamil Nadu
37MVMSSS, Chetpet, ChennaiTamil Nadu
38New Era Public SchoolDelhi
39New Horizon Scholar SchoolMaharashtra
40Padma Seshadri Bala BhavanTamil Nadu
41Ramjas Public School Day Boarding DelhiDelhi
42Rosary Convent High SchoolTelengana
43Ryan At Joseph High SchoolMaharashtra
44Ryan Christian School, VashiMaharashtra
45Ryan Global School, KhargharMaharashtra
46Ryan Global School, KundalahalliKarnataka
47Ryan International School, AdajanGujarat
48Ryan International School, AmritsarPunjab
49Ryan International School, AryawartDelhi
50Ryan International School, BikanerRajasthan
51Ryan International School, BrookfieldKarnataka
52Ryan International School, ChemburMaharashtra
53Ryan International School, CochinKerala
54Ryan International School, DasnaUttar Pradesh
55Ryan International School, Dugri, LudhianaPunjab
56Ryan International School, EvershineMaharashtra
57Ryan International School, Goregaon EastMaharashtra
58Ryan International School, JaipurRajasthan
59Ryan International School, JalnaMaharashtra
60Ryan International School, MaladMaharashtra
61Ryan International School, MansarovarRajasthan
62Ryan International School, Mayur ViharDelhi
63Ryan International School, NoidaUttar Pradesh
64Ryan International School, Ozar , NasikMaharashtra
65Ryan International School, RohiniDelhi
66Ryan International School, SuratGujarat
67Ryan International School, Vasant KunjDelhi
68Ryan International, GhaziabadUttar Pradesh
69Sahoday Senior Secondary School, Hauz KhasDelhi
70Sahoday Senior Secondary School, Safdarjung EnclaveDelhi
71Saint Michael Senior Secondary SchoolDelhi
72San Academy Kamakoti Nagar ChennaiTamilnadu
73Sankara Vidya KandraTamil Nadu
74SBOA School And Junior CollegeTamil Nadu
75Sharada Mandir SchoolGoa
76Shri Shivaji Vidyalay BeedMaharashtra
77Skyline School Greater NoidaUttar Pradesh
78Somerville School, Greater NoidaUttar Pradesh
79Spring Valley SchoolKerala
80Sri Sankara Vidya KandraTamil Nadu
81St. Aloysius High School, Nalasopara EastMaharashtra
82St. Anns High School BolarumTelangana
83St. Augustine High School, Nerul, Navi MumbaiMaharashtra
84St. Claret SchoolWest Bengal
85St. Francis High School, Tidke Colony, NashikMaharastra
86St. Francis High School, Vasai WestMaharashtra
87St. Joseph High School, New PanvelMaharashtra
88St. Lawrence High School, VashiMaharashtra
89St. Mary's English High School, GeddalahalliKarnataka
90St. Mary's Senior Secondary School, Bahuakbarpur, RohtakHaryana
91St. Michael Junior School, Prasad NagarDelhi
92St. Michael Senior Secondary School, Pusa RoadDelhi
93St. Paul AcademyUttar Pradesh
94St. Xavier High School, Borivali EastMaharashtra
95St. Xavier's College, RanchiJharkhand
96St. Xavier's High School, AiroliMaharashtra
97St. Xavier's High School, Durg BorsiChhattisgarh
98St. Xavier's High School, Mira Road, Shanti NagarMaharashtra
99St. Xavier's High School, NagpurMaharashtra
100Sunbeam Varuna VaranasiUttar Pardesh
101Victoria Girls Primary SchoolDelhi
102Vidya Niketan School, SaketDelhi
103Vishwajyot High School, KhargharMaharashtra