Sex Selection (Female foeticide)
India's total population on 1st March 2001 stood at 1.03 billion persons. The population of the country rose by 21.34 percent between 1991 and 2001. What did not rise, but rather declined shockingly, was the child sex ratio.
The Census figures provide evidence of millions of missing girls over the last decade. The 1991 Census reported a child sex ratio of 945 girls per 1000 boys, which further declined to 927 during 2001 Census. In states of Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Gujarat the ratio has declined to less than 900 girls per 1000 boys. There has been a continued decline in major southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andra Pradesh.
Estimates based on Census data reveal that in Delhi almost one in eight female foetuses are eliminated just because it is a girl. Latest birth registration information (January to June 2004 show South Delhi having the worst sex ratio with 762 girls for every 1000 boys. This ratio implies that at least one in five girls are eliminated before birth in the elite part of our city. These declines are caused by the relative availability of sex determination facilities. Today the foetal stage has become the most dangerous phase for a woman in these places where the practice of female foeticide is extensive.
The Central Government and the Supreme Court have over 2001-2003 been responding to this heinous violation of human rights and women's rights. Parliament amended the Prenatal Diagnostic Technique (PNDT) Act in December 2002 making implementation of the law and the Supreme Court directives to restrain doctors promoting sex selection imperative.
The misuse of modern reproductive technology in India has facilitated methods of sex selection. General Electric (GE) one of the world's biggest companies which produces medical technology in India with WIPRO has captured the largest market share of ultrasound scanners. Examination of the list of over 5000 Indian buyers from GE-Wipro, supplied following the Court order, revealed a disproportionate number of machines in North West India, the region with the lowest child sex ratio. It is reported that the company has also sold machines to quacks. The sale of enough ultrasound scanners may necessitate importing of women for marriage and unpaid and cheap labour in the coming decade.
In the Indian context there is a strong preference for sons. Coupled with the fact that there is a little show of medical ethics in the profession makes the challenge of reducing sex selective abortion a formidable one. Given this context a stage would soon come when it would become extremely difficult to make up for the missing girls. This imbalance in child sex ratio can destroy the social and human fabric. In this direction long-term effort to change our patriarchal society and short term endeavours to restrain the promotion of sex determination are becoming imperative.
We believe that civil society; corporates including foundations and institutions recognize the enormity of the looming genocide and work with other stakeholders to ensure that girls do have the right to be born in our country.
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