Gender Preference

Is it a boy or a girl? It's a question that we have probably heard a lot and that is because regardless to all the advancements and improvements that we have witnessed, our society keeps that touch of sexism that pushes it to ask about the gender of the fetus even before asking about its wellbeing . Gender preference is a major problem that is raised from different causes (traditions, socioeconomics) and has deep psychological effects on one's life. However, people do not take it seriously either because they are adapted to such issues or because they just blame our "retarded" Arab culture without even questioning such phenomenon and trying to change it. Therefore, because this issue is affected and affects us, and because Islam is meant to monitor our lives, the latter has a great portion that discusses such preference starting from confirming the equality of both sexes and ending by the laws of inheritance according to different Islamic sects (Sunni and Shiite).

Taking a deep look into our society we find a lot of people whom, till now, keep their norms, values, and traditions. This triplet is not only reflected as visuals, but could be found in ways of thinking and interaction between people. Thus, it's not applicable to assume that people give away their traditions for the sake of the new "open" society and "modernity". Those traditions assure that the factors associated to the underlying preference for a son are mainly the dominance of males in the society resulting from their dominance in economic life and a boy’s importance to the continuation of family lineage as they are responsible for the family’s name and can inherit the crown. Moreover, sons provide the necessary influence in rural families with ...

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