The sex of your child.

Did you know that so many couples in Africa face emotional, psychological trauma and extreme health effects for years and sometimes decades just because of the sex of their children?Did you know that so many couples in Africa face emotional, psychological trauma and extreme health effects for years and sometimes decades just because of the sex of their children? Click To Tweet

If this is a resounding “YES!” for you then, perhaps you know all about that and are likely dealing with it.

The arrival of a child brings joy not only to the home of the parents but also to the family and neighborhood at large. It usually creates an atmosphere where family and friends gather to congratulate the new parents on the block. Oftentimes, they even bring gifts to celebrate the newborn child.

“Well then”, Why is it that when the news of the arrival of a child filters out, the first question most people ask is, “What the sex of the child is?”

The question becomes pregnant with meaning if the family is struggling to have a male child which for some is like winning an “OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL.”

What makes some people think the male child is more superior to the female child?

Well, well, culture I think plays a big role in influencing the thoughts of people. It shapes their mind to believe that the male child is E-V-E-R-Y-THING. This is because they are seen to be a vital part of continuing with the ancestral lineage of their fathers. And the girl child, a temporal member of the family who will grow up, get married, leave the home, and become a member of another family.

Ugh,

What is the rationale behind such a thought?

Does it mean she ceases to be a child of her parents or will forget her parents?

That, is a question that begs for an answer!

In some parts of the world, especially in developing countries, the girl child is sometimes educationally disadvantaged.

“Eish!” (like my beautiful South African friend Zintle usually exclaims).

Some cultures see it as a waste of resources to formerly educate her simply because of the erroneous belief that, “SHE WILL ONLY END UP IN THE KITCHEN.”

This situation and many others have drawn a lot of attention to the plight of the girl child which has led to a lot of advocacy by Civil Society Organizations, The United Nations, and many others.

Thankfully, the resultant benefit of it is that it has encouraged the formulation and implementation of legislation and programs aimed at giving the girl child an advantage to develop and grow like her male peers without any restrictions.

Now, let’s be real, fathers need to know what happens when they release the genie from the bottle.   

For some of us who studied medicine and certain branches of biological sciences, we were taught that biologically, females typically have two of the same kind of sex chromosomes (XX) and are called the homogametic sex while the males have two different kinds (XY) and are called the heterogametic sex. The Y chromosome contains a “male-determining gene (SRY gene)”, that causes testes to form in the embryo. This results in the development of external and internal male genitalia. Thus, fathers have to realize the sex chromosomes determine the sex of an offspring and the man can either contribute an X or a Y chromosome, while the woman contributes an X.”

That’s why it beats my imagination when educated men abandon their partners for having only girls.

OR

Women made to bear the brunt of seeing themselves as not being capable to bear male children while the man whom I believe is the determining factor is never held accountable in any way.

 I, for one, know a certain University Professor who is married with five (5) beautiful grown-up daughters(who are all doing amazingly well). Nevertheless, he decided to get a second wife believing she could bear him a son which she did but years down the line, he found out the “SON” was not his biological child…So, so sad!

In some cases, the man’s family or friends encourage him to get married to another woman that can bear him male children due to the wrong perception that the woman’s stomach or gene is filled with girls. Hence, making her incapable of producing a male heir.

Unfortunately, this situation especially when the man is not enlightened enough to divorce himself from his cultural ties and idiosyncrasies has led to the breakup of many homes. And I wonder what’s in a male child that makes him special over the female child.

In all honesty, the sex of a child whether male or female does not matter!

CHILDREN are all wonderful GIFTS from GOD that need to be APPRECIATED and VALUED as EVERY human being has the potentials to be GREAT.

What do you think?CHILDREN are all wonderful GIFTS from GOD that need to be APPRECIATED and VALUED as EVERY human being has the potentials to be GREAT. What do you think? Click To Tweet