A concerning incident from Haryana has gone viral online, reigniting conversations around ''gender preference, patriarchy, and the toll repeated childbirth can take on women.''A 37-year-old woman from Haryana recently
delivered her eleventh child, a baby boy, after giving birth to ten daughters over the course of her 19-year marriage. The story gained traction after a video interview with local media began circulating on social platforms, sparking widespread debate and criticism.In the viral clip, the father is seen being asked to name all his ten daughters, visibly struggling to recall their names. Doctors from Ojas Hospital in Haryana’s Jind district, where the delivery took place, revealed that both the pregnancy and childbirth were extremely high-risk. They stated that the newborn had only 5 grams of blood in his body at birth, and both mother and child remain under medical supervision following what was reported to be a normal delivery.
Social media reactionAs excerpts from the interview spread online, users expressed anger, shock, and concern for the mother and children. Many questioned the parents’ responsibility, while others pointed to how deeply rooted patriarchal expectations often force women to endure repeated pregnancies in the pursuit of a male child.One user wrote, “Men’s obsession with having a “boy" is so deep that a woman’s body becomes a trial-and-error machine. 10 daughters weren’t enough. One son finally arrives and suddenly society wakes up. This isn’t culture. This isn’t tradition. This is insecurity, entitlement, and zero accountability. Stop blaming women for births. Start questioning men who can’t accept daughters."
Another commented, “Imagine being born as one of those 10 daughters, your father has to recall your name, a life of unwantedness, where basics are struggle, you neither are rich, nor can experience parental love, I would choose to be aborted as a foetus over this."
What the father saidSpeaking to the media, the father, Sanjay Kumar, a 38-year-old daily wage labourer, said that both he and some of his elder daughters had hoped for a son. Married in 2007, he mentioned that most of his daughters are currently in school, with the eldest studying in Class 12. He added that despite his limited earnings, he is making efforts to educate all his children.He said, “We wanted a son, and some of our elder daughters also wished for a brother. This is my eleventh child, and I already have 10 daughters. With my limited income, I am doing my best to provide a good education for my daughters. Whatever has happened is God's will, and I am happy with it,” as quoted by NDTV.He further denied acting under patriarchal pressure, adding that girls today are capable of succeeding in every field.