I am born in a family which has been active in the country’s politics and in social work for more than half a century. The foundation for this was laid by my father’s mother, my grandmother, Shardabai Pawar and my mother’s mother, Nirmala Shinde. Shardabai Pawar was a lady of great courage who brought up the family while battling against significant odds in life. She created her unique identity in politics and social work with great courage and fortitude. She had the legacy of the Satyashodhak Samaj, a society that sought truth and rationality. Her personality was shaped and moulded in the intellectual atmosphere of Sevasadan. This intellectual legacy supported her all through her life. Similarly, my mother’s mother, Nirmala Shinde was a very strong lady. While her four daughters were still very young, she was prematurely widowed at the age of 28 years.She with great courage brought up her 4 daughters single handedly and gave them the best education. Both my grandmothers took all the decisions in life independently. Both my grandmothers were part of large and not very wealthy families. All the girls in my got freedom and equal treatment in our house along with the males. Similarly all my sisters-in-laws who came into our family after marriage were treated equal to the males in the family. The life stories of both of my grandmothers are inspiring to me. Since my mother was brought up in this atmosphere, she also lives in the same way. Since my father has been extremely busy in his socio-political life, I have taken all decisions with the guidance and assistance of my mother. After birth i.e. around 48 years ago, my parents decided to only have one child since they both came from large families … my father felt family planning was a must given the large population Of our country.. they had only child child which was me – a girl and after this, my father underwent a vasectomy- which was unheard of in those days .He did not cast the burden of birth control on my mother. This was truly a revolutionary thinking in that era. Whenever I recall this now, I am amazed. After my daughter, Revati, was born and we were thinking of having another child my father said, “when you have a daughter why are you thinking of second child?”. I was brought up in a family where gender equality was a given. I was never treated differently just because I was a girl . Moreover I was brought up in the cosmopolitan city of Mumbai. After marriage we lived abroad for a few years. There too I never faced any gender discrimination.Against this background, when I returned to India and started working that’s where I for the first time encountered cases of female-male inequality while interacting in society. I was deeply disturbed by the disparity in the birth rate of women and men. Around that time I read the 2011 census report and it confirmed my doubt. The birth rate of girls had declined and it was 940 for every 1000 boys. Even the so called progressive districts had seen a sharp decline in the birth rate of girls. This was clearly related to female foeticide which was taking place in many places in Maharashtra. In one such unfortunate incident, a woman died in the hospital in Parali in Beed district during delivery and her husband was arrested in that case, following which the family of four daughters and an old grandmother was rendered helpless and without support. I visited that family in the Bhopa village in Majalgaon taluka of Beed district and extended them support. We decide to adopt and supports three elder girls of that family to Shardanagar school in Baramati for further education. When these girls meet me with joyous and bright faces today, I feel elated. Thereafter we continued taking the...