Umm Maryam, a simple woman living in the village of Al Dawadia, was suffering from a major problem. She favored sons over daughters and treated her daughters harshly compared to their younger brother. She believed that the son would carry on the family name and inherit their property, while the daughter was worthless. One day, Umm Maryam decided to attend a Transformational Community Development (TCD) awareness class. The seminar was about not discriminating between girls and boys. The instructor spoke about the importance of gender equality and the true value of girls in society. Umm Maryam listened attentively and began to reflect on the instructor’s words.

Umm Maryam began to ask herself, “Why did I treat my daughters harshly? Why didn’t I see their value?” She began to think about her own daughters, how beautiful and intelligent they were. She began to see in them the strength and ability to achieve their dreams. After attending the class, Umm Maryam’s thoughts completely changed. She began to treat her daughters with the same love and respect she treated her son. She encouraged them to study and work and helped them achieve their dreams. She no longer saw any flaw or deficiency in girls but rather saw them as the future.

Umm Maryam’s change in behavior impacted her entire family. Her husband began to see the value of his daughters and began treating them with kindness and respect. Even her young son began to learn from his mother to treat his sisters equally. Umm Maryam became an example of a woman who had changed her perception of the value of a daughter. She began inviting her friends and neighbors to attend awareness classes to change their minds and contribute to building a better society.

Thank you,

Written by Eman, GHNI TCD Worker