Once upon a time there were three small girls, named Maria, Rubia and Juria. One day they set off on a voyage to find a place where they can play, study and work freely. On the way they came across village 1 with some young boys playing in the grounds, some boys studying in a shade and men working in the fields and factories.

They went near them and asked,

“Hello everyone, can we play with you? Can we study with you? Can we work with you?”

“Eww no girls don’t play outside with boys”, one replied. “Girls cannot study”, another said

“Girls cannot work either. You girls need to go home and help your mother to cook and do household chores” An adult male replied.

After hearing this Maria, Rubia and Juria left the community and continued their voyage.

Soon they came across village 2 with girls and boys playing with each other. And there were young girls carrying babies and feeding them. They went near them and asked. 

 “Hello everyone, can we play with you? Can we study with you? Can we work with you?”

“Yes you can play and study but only when the boys play and study”, said a man “Yet you cannot work. You have to stay at home and get married as soon as possible”

Listening to this Juria said “Okay I will stay with them.  I don’t think we can find a place where we can stay as we want.”

But Maria and Rubia refused to stay and they left to continue their search. After some days Rubia was feeling tired and she didn’t want to continue so she went back home giving up the voyage. But Maria continued to walk. Finally, she came across village 3 where girls and boys play while women and men work together in fields, factories, and offices. There, men were helping with the household chores and some men were cooking in the kitchens.  

“Hello everyone, can I play with you? Can I study with you? Can I work with you?”

“Hi little girl yes you can play whenever you want and study in the schools”, said a man.

“Can I work like you? Or should I help at home because I’m a girl?” Asked Maria

“No darling you don’t have to be at home. As you see we men and women do the same jobs here. Of course, you can work when you grow up. You can find a job you want to do as a young lady.”

Finally, Maria settled down there. After she reached maturity she found a job to her liking and build a family. 

My story on Maria, Rubia, and Juria simply represents the voyage of women during the past years in finding their rights in a society where women were systematically discriminated against as household objects. This view was beginning to change after World War 1 and World War 2, where due to the shortage of manpower, society began to identify women as more than mere household objects. During these times women themselves identified what they were capable of. With the CLS Movement in the 1970s and the Modern Women’s Liberation Movement, women started achieving their rights.

My story on the three girls lays down the message that women were discriminated and were not equally treated at the beginning. In some areas the gender equality still is an issue but due to the courageous women and some men who came forward and fought for the basic rights of women, we now as a society have long passed the stage of village 1 in the story.

Looking at Juria it tells how we should believe in ourselves, not accept whatever sets in the plate, because society shows that is what we can get. If she stayed and believed that there is a place better she might find that place with Maria. 

Next looking at Rubia’s character, tells us how girls and women themselves need to be courageous and willful to achieve their rightful position in the world. Believing is not enough, you need to strive harder for it. Rubia believed in a better place unlike Juria but she was not willful enough to reach it like Maria. If girls or women give up the fight for equality and injustice happen, then the elimination of the gender-based challenges that little girls face around the world will be farfetched.  

What we actually need is a world like the village Maria found on her long journey. A place where girls can grow freely. A place where girls can learn. Not only to study material but learn about the society, get exposed to the society and at the end of the day return home safely. A world where girls are not discriminated against just because they were born as girls. A world where child marriage is prohibited, child labor is prohibited and both girls and boys are free to do what they actually want.

Then just like in Maria’s village both men and women will work together in the field and at home. Girls will not be forcefully married away especially child brides, child pregnancies will be not there anymore. Instead, they too will be able to spend the normal childhood they deserve. 

This may be a utopian world which in reality is hard to achieve, but in truth if girls, boys, women, and men want this to happen, want to create a safe and free place for both girls and boys, this is a dream which we can make true.

Written By Rtr. Nethmi Ranasinghe