Sarojini
Naidu, Kalpana Chawla, Indra Noyi, Chanda Kochar, PT Usha, Bachendri Pal, Sania
Mirza are some names that have made country proud in their respective fields. One
can see females excelling in the corporate world, engineering and medical
professions through women empowerment. Even in Board exams or any other
competitive exams, girls mostly surpass boys. Gone are the days when the
females were considered as a weaker sex, dependent on the opposite sex at every
stage of their life; as a child on father, as an adolescent on brother, as an
adult on husband and when old, on son. Instead, they are strongest pillar of
the family with every member dependent on them.
But there
are people who still exist considering girl as a burden, either because of
dowry, posterity or social status. This mindset has given rise to Female
Foeticide which is a critical concern especially in India.
In the age
group 0-6 years, female child sex ratio consistently shows a sharp declination,
from 962 in 1981 to an alarmingly ratio, as low as 914 in 2011. The drop
has largely been attributed to sex-selective abortions in some parts of the
country and majorly in the cities. In India, 682,000 female foetus were
destroyed between 2001 and 2005, horribly accounting as 1800 to 1900 every day.
“There is
no point in spending money on the education and nutrition of the girls as they
are not going to pay back for it in future because they will be gone to someone
else house after marriage. And also, when they will be married, it requires
huge expenditure. Boy brings name, fame and money in the family, he will take
our family name and generation forward” – mentality of some of the Indian
Families irrespective of caste and status.
Literacy and economic status do not
necessarily guarantee a positive child sex ratio. Shockingly, sex-selective abortion is
higher among the well off, educated and predominantly urban class for social
status and posterity.
Foetus are found lying in
farms, floating on rivers, wrapped in jute bags and thrown in the dustbins are
some of the common pathetic sights. It seems the struggle for a girl starts from
the day, her existence is known in her mother’s womb.
Despite these horrific numbers, foetal sex
determination and sex selective abortion by unethical medical professionals has
today grown into a Rs. 1,000 crore industry (US$ 244 million). Social discrimination against women has
already been serious issue in Indian society which has been further spurred by
technological developments. Today, mobile sex selection clinics drive into
almost any village or neighbourhood that goes unchecked and unsanctioned.
Do we still need to wait to change our mind-set
towards female population in India? Zero tolerance is what is needed.
PCPNDT Act 2003 :
The Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic
Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, PCPNDT Act 2003,
prohibits sex selection and regulates prenatal diagnostic techniques and the
prevention of their ‘misuse for sex determination leading to sex-selective
abortion’. However, it is very difficult to enforce and prevent the deliberate
misuse of medical technology for the elimination of girls on such a large
scale. PCPNDT Act has been into force for all these years and the sex-ratio in
India is still falling.
ReplyDeleteYour blog post is quite unique, grasping, and innovative with its content & readable quality. It has motivated me a lot in using environmentally friendly jute bags instead of plastic and paper bags.
Two types of people exist:
ReplyDelete1.) Dream for Boy and accepting girl as god's gift and giving higher preference to boy then girl. Results, Lag of girl child from professional world and higher involvement in family.
2) Dream for boy and aborting girl child. Result ratio as specified in blog.
You can change no 1 by changing there mind set and cannot change no.2 without any benefits.
Is government taking any steps for solving those issues? Are there any direct benefits for parents of girl child?? Don’t you think it can stop aborting girl??
Smart people know rule of only two children exists in India and it results higher abortion rate in educated people??
Don’t we keep record for all pregnant ladies at PSC levels and it should reflect to “Janm and Martyu” certificates??
If any benefits are there, weather people know about these benefits/policies.