The heartminders Project Wise -up

Eko Teenagers Club Against Child Marriage

“ I ask you all so earnestly to open girl’s schools in every village and try to uplift them. If the Conditions of women are raised, then their children will, by their noble actions, glorify the name of the Country. “ —Swami Vivekananda

Today’s girl child will be the mother of tomorrow. As a mother she can give her child a sound nursing and capable upbringing. A woman has the maximum impact on the social, economical decisions making in the family generally. At micro level, educated woman help in making the whole family including the older family members, understand the values and importance of education, and at macro level, educated women add to the social and economical development of the nation.

Girls education is like sowing the seed which gives rise to green, cheerful and full grown family plant. In ancient time girl’s education had a significant place in the society. Gargi and Maitreyi played very encouraging role in spreading the education to a great extent.

Women’s social conditions started deteriorating with the passage of time. Instead of giving them education, they are being subjected to sufferings under Purdah System, Child marriage. In some states female infanticide is prevalent even today. A new culture of elimination of female foetus has gradually become rampant discrimination between the education of girl and boy is common in rural areas. Parents feel that the education of girls is a wastage as they will go to their husbands after marriage and more dowry have to be paid for a more educated girl. The poverty and illiteracy among the people is also big reason for not sending the girls to schools and colleges. But things are being changed, though slowly, but gradually.

The various awakening programmes launched by the government for encouraging the girls education, the introduction of TV’s in rural areas, the 33% reservation given to females in Panchayats, have played positive role in this direction. Now the important of educating the girls is being felt. Several other policies, like 30% reservation to women candidates in services, enhanced subsidy to girls entrepreneurs, various self employment schemes launched for the benefits of women like Women Entrepreneur Development Programme, Self Help Groups of women have resulted in mobilizing and directing the parents to get their daughters educated. The educated women can help in eradicating many social evils prevalent in the society, like Dowry, killing the female foetus, discrimination in the matter of education of the girls , illiteracy and so on. Many programmes of the government like population control, polio eradication, programmes relating to the development of the rural area in which the cooperation and coordination of the rural masses are necessary, can well be taken care by the women representatives of the Panchayats. If these representatives are educated the implementation of the programs will be a grand success. Education gives effectiveness and confidence to the women.

Undoubtedly true that girl’s education stimulates educational consciousness and civic sense among the family members. She can teach the family members more comfortably than anyone else. Illiteracy is the cause of many ills. The present day corruption in the bureaucracy particularly in the implementation of the schemes for the development of the rural segment to a large extent is because of the ignorance and illiteracy among the rural representatives. A woman influences the activities and decisions of family than anyone else. The educated girl can shoulder any kind of responsibility. See the example of Kalpana Chawla, Kiran Bedi, Sonia Gandhi, Sushma Swaraj, Uma Bharati, and so .. , everyone has earned a name in the society in our country. For the success of a person whether man or woman, education plays an important role. Education for the girls is more important as she not only builds the home but all routine responsibilities are taken care of by her. An educated woman not only helps in nourishing the family in a better way but can also help in earning. Rightly said that God made the mother because He could not be present every where. “One could judge the degree of civilization of a country by the social and political position of its women” -Charles Fourier

Education for a girl child means making the next generation well educated, full of virtues, free from the useless superstitions, confident and capable to do something good for the family, for the society and for the country as a whole. The present day girl is the mother of tomorrow. “Give me good mothers and I will give you a great nation” -Napoleon

She is the most crucial and reverend entity. She must be given all the necessary education. Ignoring her, keeping her illiterate means we are creating an illiterate and ignorant generation. So it is perfectly true that educating a girl child means educating a family.Development cannot be accelerated unless girls are given right education in right direction. Swami Vivekananda has rightly said, “Educate your women first and leave them to themselves, then they will tell you what reforms are needed.”

Talk To Your Teens About Sexual Orientation

There are two reasons it is very important for you to show your teens your acceptance of all lifestyles. One is personal - It is so important to let them know that the most important thing for you is their happiness. If they are worried that you will reject them, or even just be disappointed, they may hide their true selves from you and what kind of relationship will you have?

The other reason it is so important to show tolerance, acceptance and hopefully even fight for gay rights and gay marriage is that kids often emulate what they learn at home. Prejudices aren't born, they are learned. Please make it clear that we are all people and we all deserve to be treated equally, whether we are men or women, white or black, straight or gay, etc.

If you have a religious argument against other sexual orientations than your own, I really don't understand it. If you believe in God, and you believe that God created all people, then God created people of all sexual orientations.

Having a talk with your teens about sexual orientation isn't a one time thing. It would be wonderful if the state of mind around all homes, especially homes with kids growing up, were free of all prejudices.

Wise Up .....Season 11

One thing which defines the teenage years for most parents is a difficult time with discipline as well as boundaries. Teenagers want to assert their independence, and it could oftentimes be conflict with those rules you have established for your family. Handling these conflicts positively will be crucial and will set a great example for your teenager in their adolescent development into adulthood. It is difficult parenting teenagers; you just have to be patient and allow us mentor them as we begin wise up(season 11)....a life modelling campaign .