Patna, Nov. 8: Gender discrimination can be more dangerous than global warming, state transport, information and public relations minister Brishen Patel said today.

“If the difference in percentage between men and women keeps growing, a time might come when girls will start seeking dowry,” he said while addressing the first day of a two-day workshop on Gender and Media at a city hotel.

“Gender bias should not be ignored at all. Girls have not only proved their mettle, they are even outshining the boys in many spheres. Time has come for parents to stop worrying about their daughters,” Patel said.

“In fact, girls are more caring and become a source of strength for their parents in their old age,” he added.

Patel urged the media to reach out to villages to get the real picture of gender discrimination.

“You should make parents realise that there is no difference between girls and boys. Unless people realise that a child is their own, they would lag behind in education,” he told the journalists taking part in the workshop.

The secretary of the department, Rajesh Bhushan, said: “In 2001, more boys used to get enrolled in schools. The number of girls and boys getting admitted to school is almost equal today. This shows that the scenario has changed today.”

He added that time has come to start a bicycle scheme even for the boys.

The workshop was organised by the department of information and public relations in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund and Population First among others.