Culture, Gender Bias and Beliefs Surrounding the 'Nakusa' Girls of Maharashtra

In rural Maharashtra, many parents have named their daughters "Nakusa/Nakoshi." In Marathi that means "unwanted." The parents hope the next child will be a boy. Most of these girls are the third or fourth daughters of their parents and their names have caused them socio-psychological problems. A study of such families in the villages of Satara District forms the basis of this article

Documentary captures agony of women whose parents named them ‘unwanted’

“The crudest form of gender discrimination begins with this strange naming practice. To beget a boy, parents name their girl children, Nakusa or Nakoshi. The agony and discrimination faced by these hapless girls during their growing up years is unimaginable,” says Mr. Shijith, whose film is the result of three years of research and meetings with 77 families in the villages