E-Paper
Girls outshine boys in going abroad
This is one Indian statistic about gender equations that gladdens -- the ratio is 300 girls per 30 boys!
This is one Indian statistic about gender equations that gladdens -- 300 girls from this winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir have applied for further studies abroad as compared to only 30 boys!
Clearly, girls here have been unusually busy filling out application forms for courses, mostly in the US and Britain, surprising even those in the business.
"This is a phenomenon we had not noticed before," remarked Krishan Prashad, who teaches at one of the many coaching centres in the city.
"Very few boys have shown interest in studying abroad. Girls outnumber them by several times," he added.
Whether this indicates a deeper social change is debatable, but for the moment it is sufficient to see an estimated 300 girls breaking away from stereotypes.
"I want to be known because of my merit," asserted Shivani Gupta, who has applied for a course in the prestigious London School of Economics.
A non-resident Indian (NRI) family had approached her parents to marry their son. That would have fulfilled her wish to be in Britain - not as a student but as a housewife. She nixed the idea.
Asha Andotra, who aspires to go to the US, is confident that she will make it. She dreams of making a mark as a "Jammu girl who made it to the top".
For these girls in their early twenties, marriage is definitely not a priority. "Our careers are our destiny," Asha said.
Jammu University teachers are busy writing testimonials for their women students. "I have been flooded with requests to write testimonials," said a lecturer, pleasantly surprised that Jammu girls were opting for the real hard route to go abroad.
