Boy or Girl?

With my baby's gender reveal only a week away, this question has been haunting me by my friends, family and everyone who got to know I am pregnant. Interestingly, it never seemed to bother me what the gender is gonna be. In the past few months, I placed myself in various scenarios with a boy kid and a girl child and it never felt like I am inclined towards one but today morning I am feeling differently.

Being a woman I have seen and learnt enough first-hand that we live in a man's world. I have been one of those fortunate exceptions who was not exposed to the complete wrath of it but still I was bruised enough to have that realization. Thankfully, I never had a male sibling, not that I am sure I would be treated differently by my parents but society plays its role in reminding me again and again that I belong to a different family (once I am married off) unlike my imaginary brother. 

Family names always bothered me. In today's world where the man and woman live separately after marriage and raise their kids majority by themselves, why should they be thrown with a tough decision of choosing only one person's family name? Why should I or anyone brand my kid with one of their parent's family name when he or she is equally raised by both of them? Are you seeing how unequal the society is? The mother is the one who sacrifices her peace of sleep, food, mental, physical and social health and after some extremely excruciating painful hours or sometimes even days of labor gives birth only to bestow the family name of the dad?

No wonder men live more unapologetically than women. It is proved to them again and again throughout their lives that women might bear the pain but God had himself decided that fate for them while they are destined to grab every fruit and relish it to their heart's content. I am not against most of the men I met. They have been wonderful friends, boyfriends, brothers, husbands, sons and dads but sadly I know that such people are not the majority. The world is definitely changing and I am seeing such men grow in numbers but the statistic out there that says to attain an equal world we need to wait another couple of centuries is pushing me towards hoping to give birth to a particular gender.

Why should my kid be called a fairer sex but is of a weaker sex? Why should they be born in a world which is still not ready to give them equal rights? Why should they be the one making the sacrifice of giving up their family name when they get married (if they chose to) or give their spouse's family name to their kid? Why should they be judged more than the other sex? Why should they be denied rights of their body? (In light of the recent US abortion rights news.)

But again, given the opportunity, I do want to raise a kid who is strong enough to question the unequal world and be a part of that line of women who did their part in bringing equality to their daughters. I do want to raise a kid who echoed her mother's concern for her but still feels on top of the world and unbelievably lucky to hold her in her hands. I do want to raise a kid who understands that world also has men like her dad but want to build a world which has more of them.

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