Preference for male babies has resulted in millions of missing female in India.Still having a predominant patriarchy, Indian
society is suffering from the twin malaise
of
female foetocide and neglect of female child. The result is drop in male-female ratio from 1,000 men to 945 women in the year 1991, to 927 women in the year 2001.This feature is common in the sub continent as well as China.
One can observe the gross discrimination against the female child in the pervailing notions of the family. Unborn child is always refered to as he or him, the sole aim of marriage is to produce a male hier.The family is considered incomplete without a son and add to this the burden of arranging dowry for the daughter. Girls are neglected, not provided with educational opportunities and as such are not empowered to take charge of their life.We have unscruplous doctors, quacks, using the ultrasound machines for pre-natal determination of the sex to selectively abort female foatuses and odds are stacked heavily against women. Recently a Doctor cuople were arrested in the state of Punjab for illegaly aborting the famale foetuses and throwing them in a well.Medical council tries to protect its own .I heard a Doctor arguing in a news channel that women who go for such abortion are solely responsible for such phenomena. If the women were treated equally and had the right to take decisions' why the fetish for sons.
Skewed national sex ratio has been linked to increased antisocial bahavior and violence.Researchers warn of further destabilisation of the
society if the current trend is not reversed. We need a collective will on part of society and state to tackle the situation.Attitudes need to be changed and the Government must enforce the existing laws strictly as well as come up with stringent measures to combat female foeocide. Incentive should be given for having girl child and their education guaranteed.