Sister Dona | India

Girls are systematically disadvantaged in India. They are regarded as inferior, are confronted with the reproach of causing horrendous dowry costs when they get married, and they yield no financial contribution to their parents’ income as they will live with the husband’s family after the marriage ceremony. Thus, they cannot even take care of their parents in their old age.

As a sad result of discrimination against girls, female fetuses are killed while still in the womb. Already now, one can observe a significant surplus of boys because of this practice. This will entail serious consequences in the long term, when many young men can no longer get married due to a lack of marriageable women.

In her doctoral thesis, Sr. Dona focused on gender research. She laid an important foundation for a promising theological institute that currently establishes a theological degree program for women and a research center for gender studies. Sr. Dona collected data on the situation of girls and women in India and analyzed the results of the data collection from an interdisciplinary point of view.

In the meantime, Sr. Dona has returned to her native country and has taken over a professorship in the field of gender research at the theological institute in Goa, India.

For more information on the research work of Sister Dona, please follow this link.