India's Transgender Adopting Baby Girls

"Transgender people in India adopting unwanted baby girls."

India is known for its worst sex ratio.

In some parts of Central India, the practice of female feticide, or selective abortion of female foetuses, is still widespread due to preference to male child. 

The government recently launched a “cradle babies” project to enable parents to give unwanted baby girls anonymously to the state – saving them from possible death where daughters are seen as a burden. 

But some transgender people want to do their parts too. 

In India, singing and dancing on the streets is a common job for transgender people.. 

They earn very little money to live… 

But this does not stop 32-year-old Prema from adopting a baby girl … a few months back.

“I could not have a child of my own. So this girl would fulfil my desire of a mother. I am going to provide everything to her.”

Prema names the baby girl Mohini. 

She says she enjoys motherhood now…. by saving other people’s girl child. 

“We would continue to help more female child in future also. We wanted that the people should understand that a girl child is not a burden. I would also like to help elderly and old age people who do not have any security at this age.”

This is not the first time for Prema to help other families’ girls. 

“We go from one house to another for begging. In some houses, we see poor families who have many daughters. They say they’re unable to raise the girls. So in such cases, we adopt the girls although they remain at their parent’s house, but we pay for their education and food.”

Surraiya is working as on the streets too… singing and begging for money. 

She just adopted a girl of six months old. 

She says the girl was left by her parents in the hospital. 

“I have spent several sleepless night for her. One mother has delivered her and I am another mother who is raising her. I am not different from others. I may not be a woman or a man, but for this little girl I am her mother. I feel that that those who are not ready to raise their own daughter should leave it at my place. I am ready to keep them.”

Adopting a female child is a growing trend in India for transgender people. 

In some communities male child is considered superior to a girl child… 

So transgender people choose to adopt female child. 

In Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh, there were several cases where girl child were killed by their parents by stuffing tobacco or salt in their mouth.

“When you say killing a cow is a sin according to a Hindu belief, then killing or abandoning a girl child is also a sin. There is a punishment for killing a cow in India, then why not people who kill their own daughters should not be punished. We need a strict law for this then only we could control this crime.”

The transgender community in India feels that the people should respect girl child. 

Another transgender, Anita thinks people need to change their view about girls…. 

“The society by and large feels that male child is better than female child. There has to be sensitivity towards girl child. The society is changing but very slowly and girls are still treated badly.”

• India
• transgender
• baby girls
• adopting
• Shuriah Niazi