Ill Effects Of Female Infanticide And Foeticide

In the news papers we read about the stories of female foeticide or infanticide. The National census 2001 has revealed a shocking picture of the skewed child sex ratio i.e. number of female children per 1000 male children in India. The child sex-ratio in 2001 has gone down to 927 females for 1000 males from 945 for 1000 males in 1991.

Experts say female foeticide in India is mostly linked to socio-economic factors. The girl child has traditionally been considered inferior and a liability. It is an idea that many say carries over from the time India was a predominantly agrarian society where boys were considered an extra pair of hands in the farm whereas a girl was considered a liability. It is quite possible that the practice of female dowry arose as a result of reduction in the number of men in India due to constant warring and the genetic robustness of the female fetus. There are no male shortages now, but the practice continues to thrive. Males are considered heirs to property, thus aggravating the problem.

Historically, in the absence of genetic testing, infanticide was the only inhumane option for discarding the female child. This heinous practice continues today in the southern parts of India where families cannot afford an illegal ultrasound test. People in Punjab, Haryana and other Western states can afford illegal tests to determine the sex of the baby and discard it.

The sharp decline in the sex ratio is a matter of serious concern as it is expected to lead to serious demographic imbalances in the future. There is no doubt that this practice, if continued, will shackle the very social fabric of our nation. As females drop in number in a society, society gets destabilized. Similar destabilization, violence and lack of progress is observed in polygamous societies, where females are treated as properties and the source of all violence is to "acquire and control" females.

The attack on the foetus does not begin in the womb - it begins in the minds of human beings; and that's why we need to change the mindsets of the people. The only way to eradicate this evil is to start educating the Indian public that daughters are equal to sons and deserve the same opportunities whether it comes to education, employment or inheritance.