By Triveni Sharma: The term female foeticide means killing the female foetus in the mother’s womb. The means and manner in which female foeticide and infanticide have been addressed in our country are worthy of intense scrutiny.

 

It has been established that sex selection and foeticide, the worst form of discrimination against girls, is chiefly practiced among wealthy, educated urban families.  In India, sex ratio stands at a paltry 933:1000, i.e., 67 women short of every 1,000 males.

 

According to figures released by the National Crime Records Bureau, in Punjab, 81 cases were registered for female foeticide while for Rajasthan the corresponding number was 51.

 

Madhya Pradesh registered 21 cases, Haryana 18 and Chattisgarh 24. Below are the five Indian states where we find Female Foeticide:

 

Punjab

 

Punjab remains the heart land of pre-natal sex selections and post-natal gender discrimination, in the country. The birth of a son is preferred over that of a daughter since ancient times. The basic reasons for such an adverse situation, lies in the socio-cultural fabric of the society.

 

Haryana

 

This malaise continues unabated, particularly in Haryana, where males are preferred over females. In several states, especially Punjab and Haryana, marriage outside one’s community, or social or income group, is frowned upon.

 

Numerous other authentic studies reaffirm that the practice of female foeticide is widespread all over India, the worst states being Punjab and Haryana. They also find that the law has been infringed with impunity.

 

Madhya Pradesh

 

State of Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of recorded cases of both female foeticide and infanticide. While the figures for Madhya Pradesh said that there were 23 female foeticide cases in the State, it also recorded 51 cases of female infanticide – the highest in the country.

 

Rajasthan

 

It is unfortunate that in the present time, female foeticide is commonly practiced across the Rajasthan and female infanticide is also common especially in districts like Jaisalmer. The archaic social structure has always given preference to males over females in the state. The state also has a high maternal mortality rate of 445 per 100,000 live births.

 

Chhattisgarh

 

Chhattisgarh's female foeticide figures in 2003-05 were the second highest in the nation. However, till now the ratio is a matter of concern in Chhattisgarh. The main reason behind the CSR decline seems to be latent female foeticide, which might be widely-practiced but going unnoticed by the state government.

 

One of the main reasons behind female foeticide is the dowry. Daughters were unable to provide social security to their parents in old age and thus were considered an unnecessary investment.

 

At the same time, respondents were apprehensive of finding a suitable match for their male children. The girl children in India have been the most vulnerable for centuries and, are even today, vulnerable to the insults of deprivation as well as discrimination.

 

It is a shame for any progressive nation that a male child is given preference to a female child and consequently lives are literally nipped in the bud in front of the wide open eyes of an indifferent society.

Follow us on Twitter & Be our Fan on Facebook.