Pink ladoos handed out at 2 hospitals to promote gender equality

Agroup of women distributeda South Asian sweet treatat two Toronto area hospitals on Tuesday in the hopes of birthing a new tradition to celebrate baby girls.

The group handed out ladoos, a sweet made of flour and sugar and rolled into balls, which are typically givento mark the birth of a baby boy. On Tuesday, the ladoos, given out at Brampton Civic Hospital and Etobicoke General Hospital, were coloured pink in part to mark the UN's International Day of the Girl Child.

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It was allpart of the Pink Ladoo Project, an international movement designedto eradicate gender-biased South Asian practices, customs and traditions.

Harbir Singh, the Canadiandirector ofthe Pink Ladoo Project, toldCBC'sMetro Morning that members of the South Asian community distribute ladoos during periods of celebration.

"Families travel door to door and go to their families and friends throughout the community and distribute this sweet as a celebration," Singh said Tuesday."Traditionally, it's only been for boy children. What we have done is coloured this ladoo pink to represent gender equality for the girl child."

No sweets handed out when girls born

Singh, a mother of two daughters, aged two and six, said the tradition was followed in her family and it was part of what she calls "male preference culture." When she was growing up, Singh said celebrations were held for her older and younger brothers, butnot for her andthese traditions made her question her value in the family.

"Traditionally, growing up in a South Asian family, I never saw anyone come to our door and celebrate the birth of a girl child, or hand out any sweets, or book large parties with their families and their friends to celebrate. That was an issue that impacted me as a child," she said.

"Therefore, I have become involved in this as an adult. I want to raise awareness and I want to address this issue of male preference culture so my two daughters never have to have this conversation."

Another tradition that affected Singh as a child is that she was told from a young age that she wasborn into one family but wouldbelong to the family of herhusband when she married.

"You are sent a message very early that your true home will be your husband's home," she said. "That affected me as a child. I felt that I was a part of my family. I felt a lot of difficulty with connecting with this part of the culture, so I want to change that."

Campaign managerBaljotGrewalhas witnessed gender inequalityfirsthand while studying dentistryin India the last five years. "I've become more aware of the value that's being given to women by men and society in these cultures," she said. "Men are seen as the breadwinner and the carrier of the family name. Historically, they have been deemed more important than women and it's time to change that."

Pink ladoosto promote change

Grewalhopes the campaign sparks a needed conversation. "I want people to start asking why we're not celebrating girls the same as boys and why a dedicated day is neededtoraise awareness," she said. "We've been doing a lot of explaining to families today who don't know about the imbalance. Education is key."

Singh said distributing pink ladoos at local hospitals is a small way to promote larger change within South Asian families by creatinga positive tradition that celebrates girl children.

The event is a way to counter traditions, cultures and rituals associated with male preference culture, she said.

"We are starting with this one small step, but hoping we will inspire a much larger conversation," she said.

She said the group believes that if a family celebrates the birth of a girl child, and there is awareness of gender equality at birth, then thatfamily is more likely to have other conversations about sexist traditions as the girl grows up.

She said her older daughter, for example, now thinks pink ladoos are handed out when girl children are born. She acknowledged that it's how change happens.

Pink ladoosare also being handedout at hospitalsin Ottawa, Regina andEdmonton.