Female foeticide, which refers to the selective abortion of female fetuses, is a serious concern in India as it not only contributes to the gender inequality, but also includes various implications with regards to demographic imbalance, gender hierarchies, victimization of females and a challenge to the development paradigm of the country . Every year, over one million females die before their birth in the form of female foeticide in India. Females not only encounter gender inequality, but also deprived of the right to birth. In the past, while female infanticide was on the peak, the availability of prenatal sex determination technologies have led to a drastic increase of selective abortions of female fetuses . Although the Indian legislation considers female foeticide as an offence, it has not been able to restrain this unacceptable practice.
According to the available statistics, it is evident that a majority of individuals resorting to female foeticide belong to the educated and upper income groups, while there is less number of individuals from the lower classes. People belonging to empowered populations who possess relatively better resources when compared to the poor are also practitioners of female foeticide in India . Female foeticide leads to skewed sex ratios across India, thereby resulting in an imbalanced male-to-female sex ratio. There is a close association between female foeticide and gender inequality as gender discrimination is primarily responsible for the issue of female foeticide. Some of the significant causes leading to the practice of female foeticide in India are poverty, dowry system and unplanned pregnancies leading to abortion, in which the fetus is female .
Some parents consider females as their financial obligation, which forces them to abort the fetus before birth. Some others have a greedy obsession for a male child either due to financial pressure or due to familial pressure. Religious superstitions are also responsible for female foeticide in India. In some cases, the socio-cultural scenario has inferior attitudes towards the female gender, thereby leading to female foeticide. It is possible to eradicate female foeticide in India through the following measures. A change in the structure of the Indian society is necessary to eliminate gender inequality, which in turn eliminates female foeticide . Non-governmental organizations and sociologists should raise their voice in favor of females and spread the importance of gender balance.
The educational curriculum of the country should include programs on gender equality, which in turn helps children to have a different perception towards the female gender since their childhood. Social thinkers should oppose old customs and traditions that encourage male birth and criticize female birth. The government should enforce developmental programs that empower women and their progress, thereby enhancing the status of females in the society . In order to halt the evil practice of female foeticide, the Indian legislation should incorporate strict disciplinary actions for those indulging in the crime of female foeticide. Although the Prohibition of Sex Selection Act is in effect, it fails to tackle the problem of female foeticide due to an increase in the number of unauthorized sex determination centers that perform prenatal sex determination tests at lower costs .
It is high time for Indian government to take measures against female foeticide as the sex ratio of the country is declining drastically. If the situation continues to persist, there is every possibility for an increase in crime rates, such as kidnaps, murders, rapes and many others. In order to combat female foeticide, the Indian laws should first target the social disorders of dowry, exploitation, women unemployment and poverty . If the government professes its commitment by implementing effective laws that deal with other related issues of gender inequality, there is every possibility for a decline in female foeticide. The corporate sector of the country should take initiative and provide security for parents and guardians with female children by granting financial aid so that there would be a change in the attitude of the society towards female gender .
It is also high time that female welfare organizations launch awareness programs that spread knowledge about female rights and ill effects of female foeticide. Women should receive special training to gain knowledge about their property rights, marriage, education, employment and adoption . This will in turn encourage them to act independently in case of familial pressures towards female foeticide. The termination of pregnancy should be authorized only after getting the approval of concerned governmental officers in cases where an existing medical complaint necessitates such termination. The government should formulate laws with respect to unborn children, and any breach of such laws should necessitate strict punitive actions . In order to prevent female foeticide in rural areas, the Indian government should establish village committees, which closely monitor the practice of female foeticide.
References
Ahmad, N. (2010). Female feticide in India. Issues in Law and Medicine, 26(1), 13-29.
Chauhan, A. (2016). Inequality, Female Foeticide and Gender Discrimination. International Journal of Advance Research in Science and Engineering, 5(1), 187-192.
Patel, T. (2007). Sex-Selective Abortion in India: Gender, Society and New Reproductive Technologies. SAGE Publications.
