Part 4/8:
Society’s Chains
Throughout the interviews, the shadow of the dowry system loomed large. Families viewed daughters through a lens of financial burden, compelling many to take the unspeakable step of eradicating them at birth. The midwives, often from lower castes, were powerless to defy the families that employed them, exacerbating the cycle of violence against girls.
One midwife, whose name was later altered to Siro Devi, sparked a transformation through the years. Although she once confessed to killing several girls, as time elapsed, she served a different role—one of conservation and life saving. The transformation from a participant in destruction to an agent of life symbolizes hope, yet the conflict of her past remains.