Loved and Unloved : The Girl Child in the Family

Why does this book speak of the girl child and not of the child, whether boy or girl?

The girl child is the endangered sex in our society.

A complex social process 'naturalises' her deprivation and the family itself is a site of gender-based discrimination.

Thirteen case studies poignantly reveal the way discrimination occurs.

The authors have used the data for West Bengal compiled by the School of Women's Studies, Jadavpur University, as part of the national project on the girl child, covering girls aged 7-18 years.

It offers detailed analysis of the girl child's mother and her perceptions of her children; of her daughters in particular.