'We hope it's a boy': How the patriarchy increases the pressure on mothers

Growing up in KwaZulu-Natal, when a woman gives birth to a boy child, she is normally praised and celebrated with words like "Umfazi wenza njalo", which translates to "this is what a wife does, well done".

This is because giving birth to a boy child means the family legacy will continue. 

But what does this mean for wives who bore only girls? Are they any less of a woman because they give birth to girls?