PRE-BIRTH ELIMINATION OF FEMALES IN INDIA: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

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PRE-BIRTH ELIMINATION OF FEMALES IN INDIA ISSUES
AND CHALLENGES

• DR. KANUPRIYA CHATURVEDI

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

• Sex Ratio - 933 females per 1000 males (Census
  2001)
• Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) - 927 females per
  1000 males (Census 2001)

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CHILD SEX RATIO 1991 - 2001
2001
1991
Child Sex Ratio (0-6) lt 921 922 - 968 gt
969 Missing data
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• 79 of the total 577 districts in the country
  registered a decline in CSR between 1991 2001
• 204 or about 35 of the districts registered
  child sex ratios below the national average of
  927 females per 1000 males
• 49 districts recorded child sex ratios below 850
• Punjab with 82 points decline has the highest
  reduction in the CSR, followed by Haryana with 59
  points
• 754 girls per 1000 boys is the lowest district
  level CSR recorded - Punjab
• Sharper CSR decline in urban areas (32 points in
  2001) than in the rural (14
  points)
• Urban child sex ratio is 903 females per 1000
  males (2001 Census) and rural child sex ratio is
  934 females per 1000 males
• Only 4 states (Kerala, Mizoram, Tripura Sikkim)
  and 1 union territory (Lakshadweep) out of the 35
  states and UTs, recorded an increase in CSR in
  2001
• 1036 girls per 1000 boys is the highest district
  level CSR recorded - Sikkim

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DISTRICT LEVEL CHILD SEX RATIO - 2001
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• States in the frontline of economic progress like
  Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, etc., have recorded the
  sharpest decline in child sex ratios.
• State/UT Child sex ratio Poverty Ratio ( of
  population living
• (0-6 years females below poverty line)
  1999-2000 per 1000 males) (combined
• High Income States
• Delhi 865 8.23
• Gujarat 878 14.07
• Haryana 820 8.74
• Himachal Pradesh 897 7.63
• Punjab 793 6.16
• Maharashtra 917 25.02
• Low Income States
• Sikkim 986 36.55
• Tripura 975 34.44
• West Bengal 963 27.02
• Orissa 950 47.15

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IMPLICATIONS

• Imbalanced sex ratios an indication of
  deep-rooted gender bias, undermines
  the right to life of girls
• Pre-birth elimination of girls creates scarcity
  of women, which may result in
• Girls being married at younger age
• Increased numbers of child brides further
  contribute to
• the poor status of women, as they are less
  likely to finish
• school or develop job skills before marriage
• Young brides and their children are more likely
  to suffer
• from increased morbidity and mortality
  associated with
• early childbirth
• Increase in acts of violence against girls and
  women, e.g.,
• rape, abduction, trafficking, due to surplus
  of men
• Loss of women likely to have negative
  consequences on the economy since women are a
  vital part of Indias labour force

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Government's response continued..

• Implementation strategy focuses on
• Advocacy and communication Mobilising media
  both print and electronic to create nation-wide
  publicity and awareness
• Capacity building Ranges from organising
  training programmes to provisioning of essential
  reading materials to equip and enhance knowledge
  base
• Promoting, strengthening and working with
  partners - The GOI works with a range
  of partners, particularly other departments like
  the Department of Women and Child Development,
  the Registrar Generals Office, NGOs, civil
  society organisations, academic institutions, UN
  agencies, etc.

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WHAT SHOULD BE DONE

• Media advocacy to encourage greater focus on the
  issue of female foeticide
• Strengthen partnerships and alliances to
  facilitate the implementation of laws, policies
  and programmesthat protect the rights of girls
• Support research studies and data analysis
• Support community based initiatives

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FUTURE DIRECTIONS...

• Promote community based inter sectoral actions to
  address adverse sex ratios
• Improve civil registration system for births,
  deaths and ante-natal registrations
• Support advocacy efforts to ensure the practice
  of medical ethics and work with State and
  National Medical Counsels
• Develop related indicators to help in monitoring
  progress
• Document and disseminate information
• Continue media advocacy and efforts to facilitate
  the implementation of laws, policies and
  programmes that protect the rights of girls.