Here are direct links to my articles for easy navigation:
Female Foeticide: Heights of Gender Discrimination
Female Foeticide In India
In today's "modern" and "advanced" society, we are facing another holocaust – one more severe than the last.
Conclusion
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“How about if everyone stays out of that country for another 50-100 years, they will then have all the time they need to kill all their woman and girls. If we’re lucky, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and all the other sand dwellers over there will pick up on the idea and they will “breed” themselves out of existence. I can hope.” |
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Another gem I found on the same blog. The author got it from the comments section of an article on Female Foeticide in India in an American online paper. http://unchaahi.wordpress.com/2008/03/07/can-we-act-now-please/ |
India is tipped to be the next superpower. India is said to be the next economic powerhouse. India is said to be the upcoming global leader. Decades ago, our forefathers saw a bright and powerful future for India as they fought for Independence. But, the harsh reality is, that judging by the direction in which India and its basic sense of morality is heading, none of this is important. In a country where basic human qualities of morality and righteousness are simply missing, what use is economic and scientific development? In a society where an entire gender is disrespected, disregarded, ill-treated, subdued and deprived of basic rights – including that of living – what value does innovation and invention have? Where people have no shame and feel no guilt at murdering a defenceless, innocent, unborn baby – where (unborn) children are slaughtered by their own parents – what is progress and development? Where words like justice, respect, honour, care – simply remain words. Yes, this is where India has peaked – or rather, this is where we have peaked India. Isn’t it ‘Mother India’? Ha, what an irony.
Female foeticide is simply the most heinous, atrocious, and disgusting practice humans could have come up with. Just where is the humanity in these humans? If India has to develop or progress, if it has to be something more than a piece of land on the world map, if it has to take even one step further for something good – it’ll have to first, and foremost, eradicate this menace of female foeticide.
The consequences are severe. What could happen is already happening, and it could easily worsen. The very civilization India has been building in all its years of history, could come crumbling down. And it will, unless we learn to respect and value the fairer sex. Now.
India is a land that has grown immensely over the years. But it is also a land that is bogged down so heavily by acute problems on the inside, that it has no chance facing problems from outside. It is also a land that needs to realize and understand the value of a human life. It is land where the girl child is considered as ‘Devi’ (Goddess). But it is also a land where this very ‘Devi’ has no respect, no dignity, no value.
We need to come together. We need to work – and work hard. Till this evil is not completely eradicated from our system – from our society. Because unless we learn to value the female gender, we are not going to progress. Because unless we learn to respect her, we are going down – and the fall is irreversible. India is going no further in any field till it learns to treat its women with equal dignity, respect and honour. And unless we do anything about it now, we are going to learn this the hard way. Change will not take place overnight – it never does. It may already be too late. But every moment we put off the action, the consequences will turn graver. The disruption this practice has caused, will take time to erase – to disappear. It will take time to make things right. But we cannot sit waiting for it to become alright. Because, unless we – each one of us – stand up and raise our voices, it will never be alright. And that, trust me, is not a future we want – not now, not ever.
As Justice YK Sabharwal, Chief Justice of India, very rightly said in his speech about the Eradication of Female Foeticide, on December 17, 2006 in Patiala,
“They say that in law, everything has two sides. That there is no right and no wrong, no black or white – only shades of grey. But here, I honestly do not see two sides. Though rare, it is true that sometimes what is wrong…is wrong…is wrong – and I believe this is one such time. There are no grey areas when it comes to female infanticide or female feticide. It is simply wrong.“
References:
http://www.youth24x7.com/society/item/100-female-foeticidelets-stop-it
http://www.legalserviceindia.com/article/l292-Female-Foeticide.html
http://unchaahi.wordpress.com/2008/03/07/can-we-act-now-please/
The Key To The Lock – Solutions
Well, no lock is made without a key. Therefore, let’s hope God hasn’t given us this problem without a solution. Things are bleak, and worse than ever, yes. But fortunately, things are moving.
Luckily, people are awakening and individuals and organizations alike, are taking action. And yes, the Government is doing some of its bit in helping undo what has seeped into the very roots of our existence. The Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development and the Department of Health are working towards this issue. Several awareness campaigns, surveys to monitor birth sex ratio, and proposed schemes for the girl child have come up. Steps for enforcement of concerned laws and monitoring and registration of genetic centres have followed. Films like Matrubhoomi shook things (for a while), but more of the kind are required to actually make a difference. Satyameva Jayate brought the issue back into the limelight and showed a lot of promise – newspapers were filled with reports of arrests of doctors for the next few weeks – but we are yet to see how much of a lasting impact Amir Khan’s show has made. Heart-warming efforts are seen periodically – Ishita Uppal’s (a Class 10 girl) awareness drive in Haryana and Punjab in 2009, for example. However, this is not enough.
This issue demands more – more attention, more efforts and more involvement. Doctors have to stop doing it, and families have to stop asking for it. The Government needs to delve and look into proposals and suggestions that have been put forth. This includes,
– Generation of awareness
Sensitization (especially amongst youth)
About equality of the male and female gender
About adverse effects of multiple abortions on women
About the law regarding sex determination and abortion
Online attempts
– Proper enforcement of laws
– Punishment of those charged and deemed guilty: to set up an example for the rest
– Prioritizing pending cases
– Allowing only government hospitals to carry pre-natal diagnostic tests: so monitoring is easy
– Research and review
– Look into and re-discuss law: increase punishment, if needed
– Increase in girl welfare programs and steps: regarding education, reservations for jobs, etc.
– Formulation of an action plan
– (Most importantly) Work towards eradicating corruption
Nevertheless, it is not only the Government who need to work on this – the society, which means we, need(s) to work just as much. We, as citizens, can do our bit to work for this cause – support, stand, be aware, and aware others. It may not sound much, but it does help – join causes and pledge your support. And those who feel up to it, donate. (I know there are a lot of malicious people out there, but tread well and do a little research, and you’ll find the ones who actually care.) Write. Speak. Act. Go give a small talk in your school (or your child’s school). Encourage friends, colleagues, seniors, juniors – step out of your comfort zone.
How does it matter to me? Another absurd question. Agreed, you do not indulge into this practice, you do not encourage it, and you do not support it. No one can give you an answer to this question – well, except your conscience. Go ahead, and ask it.
It won’t affect you directly. But, it is a moral obligation for you to help improve the world you live in. It is a natural human duty to help. If everyone asks the same question, and stays glued to their seats – this will remain as it is. Nothing will happen, the situation will worsen and you will still be glued to your seat. Think – do you expect those who are committing this foeticide will work for the cause? Obviously not. It is the ones who do not do it, who have to work to stop those who do it. And that includes you. Just sitting back and complaining that ‘this country will remain as it is’, and ‘this country is not going to improve’, and ‘no one can do anything about this country’ and ‘the government is useless’, is futile. Get up and do something that you shall be proud of – for your entire life. Stand tall and strong, and support and help. Do it for yourself, if you’re feeling too egoistic and lethargic to do stuff for others. Help yourself become someone better. Help yourself make a difference. Help yourself watch yourself rise in your own eyes. Help yourself be the ideal for your friends and your children. And help yourself smile with pride.
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“How does an unbalance in the society that’s ways away from where I am impact me? Well, my answer simply is: It matters to us just as much the war in Iraq does. Just as much as the recruitment of children to fight for wars being fueled by greed in Africa does. Just as much as the bloody upheaval in Kosovo concerned us. Just as much as the genocide of Rwanda impacted us. Just as much as the mass murder of Jews by Nazis influenced us. Just as much as the slave trade in early American history affected us. The list is endless.” |
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Lines I came across on a blog that truly inspired me… http://unchaahi.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/how-does-it-matter-to-me/ |
References:
Click to access fem_foet_pers_plan_2007.pdf
Click to access FEMALE_FOETICIDE.328175159.pdf
https://unchaahi.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/how-does-it-matter-to-me/
http://www.satyamevjayate.in/issue01/learnmore/detail/7/
http://www.aygrt.net/PublishArticles/534.aspx
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-09/news/31312430_1_female-foeticide-girl-child-extra-classes
Laws Regarding Female Foeticide
India today, is not a very women-friendly place – as those unborn aren’t allowed to live, and those alive aren’t allowed to live. To eradicate the menace of female foeticide from the Indian society, one thing that certainly needs to be looked into is the law. Though changing the law or making it stricter will not immediately and completely bring a solution, it is a step. And when the evil is established to be completely illegal, it is slightly easier to pin down the problem. However, what is the law at present? What is the status of the part of our Constitution that governs the practices at point?
There are three laws that need to be looked into – one regarding dowry (the major cause for female foeticide), one concerning sex selection, and finally, one about abortion.
Delving into dowry laws is not very difficult – dowry is simply illegal. Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act (1961) states that a person shall be deemed guilty if s/he demands any dowry, directly or indirectly, from the parents or other relatives or guardian of a bride or bridegroom. Section 3 of the same act condemns a person if s/he gives or takes or abets the giving or taking of dowry. The Act defines dowry as any property or valuable security given or agreed to be given either directly or indirectly by one party to a marriage to the other party to the marriage (or by the parents of one party or any other person to the other party or any other person) – basically, cash, property or valuable security offered as precondition to the marriage. Stridhan (property of the woman) is legal, however.
Sex selection is covered under the Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 2002. Originally, there was a Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994, but due to the prevalence of pre-conception diagnosis, a newer law was put in order.
The PC & PNDT Act states that no place or doctor is authorized to conduct pre-natal diagnostic techniques except for the purpose of detection of one or more of:
– chromosomal abnormalities;
– genetic metabolic diseases;
– haemoglobinopathies;
– sex-linked genetic diseases;
– congenital anomalies;
It also states that “no person including the person conducting pre-natal diagnostic procedures shall communicate to the pregnant woman concerned or her relatives or any other person the sex of the foetus by words, signs or in any other manner” and “no person shall, by whatever means, cause or allow to be caused selection of sex before or after conception”.
Under the Act, the following people can be charged: everyone running the diagnostic unit for sex selection, those who perform the sex selection test itself, anyone who advertises sex selection, mediators who refer pregnant women to the test, and relatives of the pregnant woman. The pregnant woman is considered innocent, “unless proved guilty”.
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, legalizes abortion – however, under certain conditions. It states that pregnancy can be terminated by at least one registered medical practitioner (if the length of the pregnancy does not exceed 12 weeks) and by at least two registered medical practitioners (if the length of the pregnancy is between 12 and 20 weeks) who are of the opinion, formed in good faith, that
– the continuation of the pregnancy shall expose the woman to risk to her life or of grave physical or mental health
- (this includes women subjected to rape, and pregnancy induced by the failure of any contraceptive device or technique used by a married couple)
– There is substantial risk that if the child is born s/he shall suffer from severe physical or mental abnormalities
Pregnancies that can be terminated also include those in minors (under-18) or “lunatics” with the permission of a guardian.
As the law is always criticized, these three laws have also been under the scanner and several parts have been claimed to be extra or less strict – than necessary. The dowry law has been criticized by men’s rights activists stating that the law is gender biased, and includes presumption of guilt (of the husband) and vague definitions of dowry and stridhan.
It has been claimed that the PC&PNDT Act focusses solely on ultrasonography as a technique for sex-selection, and newer technologies like amniocentesis and biopsy, and other techniques that could come up in the near future (for example, a technique involving taking a blood test isolating foetal cells from maternal blood hence enabling foetal sex detection is under investigation), which would be neglected under this Act.
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act has been said to ‘legalize’ abortion, but not present it as a ‘right’ for women. The twenty week limit (for abortion) has been criticized, stating that the sex of the foetus can be determined easily from the 12th week onwards. However, others claim that the limit must be extended, citing other medical reasons (for example, the Nikita Mehta case in 2008). Moreover, since there is no absolute definition to the phrase, ‘severe physical and mental health risks’, and that the opinion lies with the physician, illegal abortions aren’t very difficult to carry out (not at least, at this day and age – where everyone is more than ready to fish out a bundle of notes from their pockets to achieve what they want).
The laws in India have been laid out pretty well – covering at least the bare necessities. However, more important than the law (in this case) is the implementation of the law. The laws have been passed fine, but the reason sex determination and illegal abortions still take place is the improper and inadequate implementation of the law. The law is not being properly implemented, and proper action has not been taken against those found guilty. Of course, the official reason shall remain ‘inadequate forces and staff’ and ‘lack of funds’, but we know better. And if female foeticide is to be stopped, it is time that our officials and those who have been presented with ‘power’, dig their noses into the laws in our Constitution, and begin taking severe and appropriate action. On paper, everything is fine – what is written can be criticized numerous times – but when it comes to taking action, well, action needs to be taken.
References:
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/does-abortion-law-abet-female-foeticide/article3459939.ece
http://blog.medicallaw.in/medical-termination-of-pregnancy-act-abortion-laws-in-india/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_India
http://blogs.expressindia.com/showblogdetails.php?contentid=394265
http://www.wluml.org/node/4760
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/law-to-cover-new-techniques-of-sex-determination/761343
http://www.who.int/genomics/gender/en/index4.html#India:%20Sex%20selection%20and%20the%20law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowry_law_in_India
http://policywise.net/2007/09/20/why-sex-determination-should-be-legal-in-india/
Criminal Law: 10th Edition – John C. Smith
Criminal Law: Fifth Edition – Nicola Padfield
Crime and Criminal Justice – Ian Marsh, Gaynor Melville, Keith Morgan, Gareth Norris and John Cochrane
Criminal Law: Third Edition – Nicola Padfield
A Nation Without Women
Why is female foeticide a problem? One of the most absurd questions one can ask, but one that nevertheless has to be answered to highlight the impeding dangers female foeticide brings along. Other than the obvious fact that female foeticide is simply murder, and socially and morally wrong, there are numerous other serious problems associated with the continuing of this practice.
Evidently, female foeticide leads to a decline in the female population – as can be plainly observed from the ever-declining sex ratio India possesses. This decline (as mentioned earlier) leads to a huge deficit of women when compared to the number of males. And this results in severe complications, and opens up possibilities of inevitable consequences in the near future.
The first, and one of the most obvious consequences of female foeticide, is the lack of girls – for marriage. Demographers predict there to be an acute shortage of brides over the next 20 years, due to the adverse sex ratio. This leads to a number of other problems – the major being trafficking.
The steep decline in the number of girls has led to a lack of girls available for marriage for young men. As a solution to this problem, girls, who have barely crossed the threshold of puberty, are ‘imported’ from other districts or states for marriage – for a price paid to the girl’s family. However, this is not the end of the problem – this practice opens more cans of worms. These ‘imported brides’ are, more often than not, ill-treated, and sexually exploited. In many places – rural Punjab, for example – the purchased girl is forced to be the ‘wife’ of not only the husband, but also his brothers, and even, according to some reports, her father-in-law. These women are called ‘Draupadis’ (named after the wife of the five Pandavas in the Mahabharata epic), and are subjected to continuous sexual and physical abuse.
Punjab and Haryana – the states with the lowest sex ratio in India – are home to well-organized networks that coordinate such trafficking. Women who are sold in these states, brought (or bought or kidnapped) from the Northeast (where the sex ratio is comparatively better), are called ‘Paros’.
Heinously, after the woman has produced a boy child for her husband, or after he is ‘sexually satisfied’, the woman is either abandoned or passed on to another man – who shall use her for the same purpose. At times, the woman is also discarded because the man is not pleased or satisfied with her. In this way, the woman is bought, used and exploited, and then passed on to be used again and again till she becomes ‘sexually useless’, following which, she is simply discarded or thrown away.
Via trafficking, men tend to marry younger girls – those who have barely reached puberty – due to the lack of women of marriageable ages – leading to an increase in child marriages. This leads to an obvious increase in fertility rates, and thus a greater rate of population growth (India already has more than its share of population woes). Child marriages also lead to declining numbers of women being educated. Other serious problems include child pregnancies and resulting health complications.
Female trafficking is already taking place in India today – in 2011 alone, fifteen thousand Indian women were bought and sold as brides. This number is prevalent with the sex ratio today – it is not very difficult to imagine the rise as the ratio continues to decline.
As the number of females continues dwindling, the surviving ones will face the reality of a male-dominated society driven by a testosterone high. The decline in the female population will lead to increased cases of rape, molestation and sexual and physical assaults.
It has been proven that more crimes are committed by men, than women. As the percentile of men in the society rises, crime rates will inevitably increase – leading to numerous other related issues.
The consequences of female foeticide (and infanticide) were effectively portrayed by Manish Jha in his 2003 film ‘Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women’. The film tells the story of a village in rural Bihar, where female infanticide and foeticide is on the rise. In about 2050 AD, the village is occupied only by men – as there are no girls left. The young men of the village are desperate for wives and release their frustration through group screenings of imported pornographic films, cross-dressed dance performances, and even bestiality. A man, who is looking for brides for his five sons, buys a beautiful young girl, Kalki, from her father, and marries her to all five. She is forced to sleep with one son each day of the week, and even the father gets his weekly night. She grows close to the youngest (who is the only one who treats her with respect), which results in his jealous brothers killing him. Desperate, Kalki tries to escape with a sympathetic young servant, but they are caught, and the servant is shot. The girl is tied to a pole in the barn. The villagers, trying to avenge the servant’s murder find Kalki, and instead, gang rape her night after night. Eventually, she gets pregnant, and a caste war ensues, with villagers fighting over the right of Kalki and her child. The film ends on a violent note with all the villagers killing each other off, but there is a ray of hope as Kalki gives birth to a female child. This film, being violent and disturbing (as the theme requires), tackles this issue and brings forth the severe consequences the continuing of this practice poses.
“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Female foeticide is homicidal and fatal, and rightly so, its effects are fatal and dangerous. It can lead to severe defamation, imbalance and immorality in societies. Blinded by the want for a male child and their unjustified hatred for the female child, the majority are often ignorant of the disaster they unwittingly invite by indulging in female foeticide.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrubhoomi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_foeticide_in_India#Social_effects
http://silverstararrow.hubpages.com/hub/Female-Feticide-Causes-Effects-and-Solutions
http://unchaahi.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/paro-the-results-of-a-highly-skewed-gender-ratio/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4862434.stm
http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/oct/26paro.htm
http://unchaahi.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/matrubhoomi-a-nation-without-women/
http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Matrubhoomi-A-Nation-Without-Women-review-npnonstpt
http://unchaahi.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/the-problem-the-causes-the-consequences-objectified/
Causes of Female Foeticide – Why Do They Do This?
Female foeticide is a pressing issue – which calls to be addressed at once. However, to get to the root of this issue, it is essential to understand the causes behind it. In India, however, there isn’t actually a need to investigate into the problem much. We don’t need to delve into any lengthy and detailed investigation or case study. The issue lies right on top, in front of our eyes – in fact, it is a very part of our lives.
One of the simplest and most obvious causes is a preference for the male child. It’s simple – couples prefer a male child over a female one. Reasons? Plenty. The root lies in our very own traditions, customs, beliefs and above all, our thinking. It is a general perception that the birth of a male child is beneficial and advantageous to the family. A male in the family is traditionally considered to be a source – source of money, source of respect, source of name and fame. A man is expected to work and earn for his family – in the process repaying all that was cost to bring him up. A woman is considered a financial obligation, as money spent on bringing her up, educating her, marrying her will not be repaid – as she will go to her husband’s house after marriage, and the benefits of all that ‘investment’ shall go to his family.
As Justice YK Sabharwal, Chief Justice of India, rightly says (in his speech about Eradication of Female Foeticide, delivered in Patiala on December 17, 2006), that “Investing in a daughter they say is like ‘watering your neighbour’s lawn.’” A boy shall grow up to be the head of the family, and he shall offer a sense of security to his aging parents – take care of them, serve them and take over the responsibility of running the family. He shall also continue the name of the family (whereas, the girl shall take up her husband’s last name). A male is considered to be a producer, whereas a female is considered to be a consumer. All this is mainly due to the patriarchal form of the Indian society. One simple assumption that can be made is that this preference is based on the form of society and families, a couple of decades back. Back then, a male was expected to work and earn, whereas a female was supposed to sit at home, cook, and manage the house and children. This made a male child desirable, as he was, then, the only source of income and respect. This system was abolished – today, females work nearly as much as men – but the thinking remained unchanged.
Another major cause – and arguably the most prominent one – is the age-old dowry system. Dowry is the money, goods and/or property a woman brings into a marriage. It is basically a payment done by the bride’s family to the groom’s family during marriage. Reasons for dowry include provision of “base funds” for the husband to start a new family, establish his household and to feed and protect the family. Another reason is to support the woman and her children, if the husband were to die – especially since women have a better average life-expectancy than men. However, in most cases, dowry is seen to be payment to the groom’s family, for accepting the woman, and for taking responsibility for her there on.
Dowry is very common in South-Asian countries like India. In India, expected dowries are huge – hundreds of thousands in cash, car(s), some property. It is well beyond the capacity of many families to afford this, especially in rural areas (where the expectancy remains the same). Dowry is illegal in India, but this has not stopped families all over the nation from giving (trying) and accepting it. Also, in most cases, the bride’s family is expected to arrange and sponsor the wedding – and Indian wedding are rightly nicknamed: Big-Fat-Indian-Wedding, pointing to the immense amount of effort, money, and glamour put in. Therefore, the birth of a female child indicates huge amounts of expenditure later in her life, when she shall be married – which incidentally, is considered the most important time of a woman’s life. Couples do not wish to have such financial burdens on them – loans and debts, for example: which most dowries force – which is why they do not want a girl, to spare them from such huge monetary requirements. This is prevalent to such an extent, that many small clinics that perform illegal sex-determination tests and help couples abort female foetuses, advertise using the slogan, “500 now, or 5,00,000 later” – the former indicating the price of an abortion, and the latter that of the dowry.
Another reason for the unwanted status of the female child is the burden on her parents regarding her safety. Incidences of girls subjected to rape, molesting, sexual abuse, domestic violence, trafficking, etc. are growing every day, and parents don’t want to risk their girl child’s safety (with a male child, such things aren’t a worry).
There are a couple of other minor reasons, such as the higher rate of migration (studying and/or living abroad) in men than women (a child studying abroad is a matter of pride for parents, traditionally), and the responsibility of parents to ensure the ‘untouched and clean’ status of a girl before marriage and that to instil in her the right attitudes, and to teach her to be a good wife and to please her in-laws, failing which, the parents are blamed. However, these are the major and most prevalent reasons for female foeticide in the Indian society, today.
A commonly suggested reason is illiteracy. It is assumed that people are illiterate and not educated, and hence they commit this heinous act. However, logical as it may sound, this cannot be safely established. Numbers tell us that, this practice of female foeticide is equally prevalent, if not more, in urban parts of India (which host the so called ‘rich’ and ‘upper’ class people) as in rural areas. Clinics are flocked in huge numbers in urban areas, to facilitate the ‘facility’ of illegal sex determination. How can one then point the finger at illiteracy?
It is also argued, that some of this has bases in religion too. For example, according to Hindu scriptures, it is a male who’ll light the funeral pyre of his dead parent(s). However, this does not explain the cause for this foeticide. No Hindu scripture or religious text asks to kill a female child or foetus. On the other hand, Hindu books, Rig Veda, for example, hold women in a much respected light. Many women, in these texts, were highly regarded and respected. It is unjustified and unfair to point a finger at religion as a cause for female foeticide, for it our (mis)interpretations and understandings that are at fault.
Another shocking fact is that doctors use the trust placed upon them for their own benefits. Knowing that the couple will abort the foetus if it is female, the doctors proclaim a female foetus even if the tests show a male foetus – to avail the extra fee they receive for abortion.
Understanding these reasons behind this practice of female foeticide, it is evident that the change has to be in the thinking and mentality of the people, and also the laws of our country – to abolish and eradicate immoral and unjustified customs like dowry. These reasons have to be addressed immediately, if any change and improvement is desired – it cannot be expected that female foeticide be stopped without changing anything else. Major and instantaneous changes are required in the way our country and its people basically function. Only then can we think about bringing about a change, and making India a better and safer nation for the fairer sex.
References:
http://unwantedgirlchild.blogspot.in/2008/04/causes-of-female-foeticide.html
http://www.indiastudychannel.com/resources/90157-Female-Foeticide.aspx
http://www.legalserviceindia.com/article/l292-Female-Foeticide.html
http://www.radianceweekly.com/184/4656/female-foeticide-a-curse-of-society/2009-12-27/cover-story/story-detail/female-foeticidea-social-menace.html
http://zeenews.india.com/news/exclusive/female-foeticide-death-before-birth_782883.html
http://www.sandeepweb.com/2007/03/05/on-female-infanticide-in-india/
http://silverstararrow.hubpages.com/hub/Female-Feticide-Causes-Effects-and-Solutions
http://www.mdhil.com/female-foeticide-in-india/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowry
Is it a Girl or a Boy?
Technology has been progressing rapidly, over the years, and has continued to bring about infinite changes in our lives. However, technology, given the immense brainpower and creativity God has gifted man with, has been put to multiple and innovative uses – uses including those that bring positive influences on our lives, but also (and pretty obviously) including those that bring negative influences, advantages, and effects on our lives and that of those around us. Many innovations, inventions and discoveries have been exploited and misused, and been put to ‘negative’ uses for personal gain, support for illegalized actions, pleasure, and unfair advantages, amongst others, under the influence of hedonistic tendencies. A common example is nuclear energy. Gunpowder. TNT. Thalidomide. Chlorofluorocarbons. Zyklon B. Ecstasy. And many, many more. And a relevant example, sex-determination tests.
Female foeticide is the act of aborting a female foetus. However, how does one know that the foetus is female? A sex-determination test, (or formally, prenatal sex discernment) is needed to be performed, to determine the sex of the growing foetus – which means, a doctor is needed to go through the process of female foeticide.
There are multiple techniques that can be used for prenatal testing (before-birth) to determine the sex of the foetus.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis is one such method. However, this method is performed before conception and implantation. This diagnosis includes procedures that are performed on embryos before implantation, and at times on oocytes (eggs) before fertilization. This technique is generally used to screen and identify embryos at risk, mainly due to genetic or hereditary issues. However, sex determination can also be accomplished via this technique. However, the main reason this is not very popularly used is that it has to be performed before implantation – which is before any major signs of pregnancy are evident.
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis are two other techniques. These may be conducted in the eighth and ninth week, onwards. During chorionic villus sampling, a sample of the chorionic villus (which is a tissue of the placenta, the organ that connects the foetus to the uterine wall, to supply it with nutrients and gas, and to enable waste excretion) is obtained, and tested. This is generally used to test the foetus for chromosomal or genetic disorders. In amniocentesis, a little of the amniotic fluid (present in the amniotic sac, surrounding the foetus) is extracted. This fluid contains foetal tissues, and the DNA present in them is tested for chromosomal abnormalities, and foetal infection. Both these techniques can be used to determine the sex of the foetus. However, these techniques are rather invasive, and lead to severe chances of damage to the foetus and miscarriage. These techniques are also relatively difficult.
The most common technique used for sex-determination is obstetric ultrasonography. Ultrasonography is the imaging of structures in the body, achieved by observing and recording the echoing of pulses and ultrasonic waves directed into the tissues. Obstetric ultrasonography is the use of ultrasonography to visualize the embryo or the foetus, whilst it is in the womb. This is a common part of every pregnancy, as it delivers vital information about the foetus. However, it is also used to determine the sex of the foetus. It can be performed as early as the 12th week of the gestational age (between 65 and 69 days after fertilization), when it gives a result in 90% of the cases – accurate results in 75% of the cases. The accuracy for a male foetus is approximately 50%, and that for a female foetus is nearly 100%. However, after the thirteenth week (70 days), the results are nearly 100% accurate in all cases. This technique is very commonly used, as it is nearly accurate, and has no potential risks to the foetus or the mother.
Innovation and inventions are a natural part of today’s developing world – and these cannot be blamed for the consequences our uses lead to. However, it is our usage and the exploitation of the resources we have (like we do in nearly every field), that hurts us the most. It is this usage that has to be checked and kept under control, if we have to find a solution to the problems we are facing. However, to do so, it is of utmost importance, to firstly, investigate and figure out why this is happening, and what has led and motivated us to take such undue advantages of the results of our very own ‘brainpower’.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prenatal_sex_discernment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preimplantation_genetic_diagnosis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorionic_villus_sampling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placenta
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amniocentesis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obstetric_ultrasonography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_ultrasonography
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/ultrasonography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_foeticide_in_India#cite_ref-Khan_4-0
http://listverse.com/2009/07/19/10-useful-inventions-that-went-bad/
http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-terrible-inventions.php
History – Tracing Its Roots
Female Foeticide is one of the most prevalent issues today, and statistics support that. However, how did this start? How did this evil creep into the veins of the society, and how did it dig its roots so deep, that it’s grown so much today?
The preference for the male child dates back into history. And obviously therefore, female infanticide, has long been practiced in Indian societies – the reason being the process was relatively simpler, compared to female foeticide. Hence, tracing the origins of infanticide would be comparatively more difficult. However, foeticide is abortion – which could be easily accomplished only through the development of technology. When and how did foeticide come into the picture?
The best answer to this question, could be obtained from Dr. Puneet Bedi, Consultant in Obstetrics & Gynaecology in New Delhi, talking to Amir Khan on the latter’s popular show Satyameva Jayate (aired on 6 May 2012). Dr. Bedi says that the concrete origins of female foeticide in India traced back to the 1970s. Abortion was not unknown then, and laws against abortion had already been written by the British – but the idea caught on then. According to Dr. Bedi, family planning was making its way inroads, and it was widely accepted that the root to many major social and economic issues India was facing at the time, was due to its growing population. The preference for a male child was predominant in families, but the common practice then was for the woman to conceive till she got a male child. This practice was seen as a threat and the cause for the growing population. As a solution to this, government hospitals started aborting female foetuses. This would result in the couple getting the male child they wanted, and not needing to have any female children in the process. (The equipment and procedures at the time were however complicated, and not really risk-free. However, the pace increased after almost a decade-and-a-half, when by the late-1980s and the early 1990s, ultrasound techniques gained popularity in India.) The idea caught on, and soon spread to hospitals all over India. However soon, some activists opposed this practice, and in 1994 the Indian government passed the Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, making sex-selective abortion illegal. However, it was too late, and as has been throughout history, merely making it illegal did not stop it.
Now, with the advancement in technologies, and development of easier, and cheaper techniques, female foeticide has spread throughout India, and sex determination tests are a very common practice during pregnancy – abusing the technology which is supposed to be used, only if there are chances of the infant contracting any hereditary genetic disease or disability. And today, it is no secret, and one can clearly see where this immoral solution to a wrongly-identified problem, has led us to.
References:
Sex Ratio – Dwindling Numbers
As said, female foeticide is an ever-growing menace in Indian societies, and there is ample evidence. Censuses and surveys bring about seriously threatening statistics and figures. According to the latest Census 2011, the overall sex ratio in India is 940 females per 1000 males. This may seem insignificant – why’s 60 less girls such a big issue? However, consider the massive population of India of over 1.22 billion, and do your math right and you’ll see the gravity of the situation. A deficit of 60 females per 1000 males, translates into a deficit of about 37 million (3.7 crore) females in India – and that is a huge figure.
In a natural world, without sex selective abortion, the sex ratio should be approximately 980 females per 1000 males (this is evolution’s way of correcting for the higher infant mortality rate in boys, than girls, so the sex ratio is balanced by the onset of early adulthood in females – amongst several other factors). Do some more math, and you’ll realize that there are 12 million less females in India than there should be.
Things get worse when we delve into statistics concerning infants and children. The child sex ratio (0-6 years) is 914 girls per 1000 boys, an alarming decline from 927 in 2001 (and 945 in 1991, and 962 in 1981) – the lowest recorded since Independence. States like Punjab and Haryana have child sex ration as low as 846 and 830, respectively. And the worst of them all, the secondary sex ratio (i.e. at birth) in India is 893 girls per 1000 boys, whereas the natural sex ratio at birth is estimated to be 943.
Source: Satyameva Jayate Episode 1: Daughters are precious
These figures are seriously startling and establish this issue as a major cause of worry. India’s figures lie far below what they should be, naturally. India’s sex ratio is lower than the world average of 990 females per 1000 males, and it ranks third in lowest secondary sex ratios in the world and fourteenth in lowest primary sex ratios. These statistics are enough to set alarm bells ringing, and inevitably call for immediate and severe action.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_India
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/05/09/economics-journal-why-do-indias-muslims-have-a-better-sex-ratio-than-hindus/
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-03-31/news/29365989_1_ratio-males-girl-child
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_sex_ratio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_sex_ratio
Female Foeticide In India 