missing

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missing
Mapping the Adverse Child Sex Ratio in India
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Child Sex Ratio
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Estimates of Missing Girls (Per Day)

• INDIA
• Around 2000 per day (if SRB 883)
• - i.e. 6 lakhs per year
• - 3.4 of all births are SSEs
• PUNJAB
• Around 129 per day
• - i.e. 47,000 per year
• - 5 times of national SSEs (17)
• (Punjab pop 2.5 of total pop, lower than
  national birth rate, 5 SSE of national estimates)

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INDIA CHILD SEX RATIO IN AGE GROUP 0-6
1991
2001
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Sex Ratio at Birth by sex of the previous
children
Who is practicing sex selection
This information is from a study done by
Christian Medical Association of India. It takes
into account 11267 births for the year 2000-2001
collected from one of the public hospital in
Delhi.
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Who is practicing Sex Selection

• Urban
• Educated
• Middle Class

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Why are daughters unwanted?
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Son Preference and Daughter Aversion

• Economic progress has not necessarily changed the
  traditions of gender discrimination
• - dowry
• family name
• property
• last rites
• old-age support
• Patrilocal Marriage

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What Patterns and Trends

• Fertility decline
• Patriarchal mindset
• Access to (non compliant) testing and abortion
  services

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What Patterns and Trends
Preference (no tolerance for 2nd
daughter) and Potency (profit driven
availability of technology)
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In the future??

• Rural and poor as well
• Resurgence of practices such as polyandry,
  infanticide?
• Trafficking ?
• Violence against women and girls

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The 2003 Amended Law.

• Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal
• Advertising the service is illegal
• Communicating sex of child is illegal
• (checked through decoy sting)
• Regulates use of ultrasound
• - Only for 23 conditions
• - Register machine, clinic and mobile machine
• - Notify changes in above changes
• - Regulates sale of machines

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Our Journey so far
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Action Tracks

• Womens Empowerment
• Community Action
• Legal Action
• Public Opinion Religious leaders
• The Bridge the Medical Community
• Youth

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Long Term Womens Status

• Ratios are balanced when
• Parents have medium levels of education (high
  school education)
• Women are not only educated but also employed
  outside home
• When the difference between the incomes of the
  spouses is marginal

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Challenges

• Views of General public
• A problem of poor and illiterate
• Know it is possible, dont know if legal
• Abortion is not ok, SSA is ok and necessary
• Some think value of girls will rise
• Primary concern Its bad for boys who wont find
  girls
• Challenges in messaging
• Ownership Vs. Purity of communication
• Positioning of essence guilt/fear-love/cherish
• Breaking myths womens roles and abilities

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What you can do as individuals?

• Break myths about daughters break stereotypes
• Value daughters in the family provide
  opportunities
• Proactive vigilance dont be silent
• Bring about change in families and neighbourhoods
  the starting point

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Messages for the artists

• Why artists lasting impact through art and
  culture
• Messages retain the emotional touch-love, care,
  cherish, warmth
• Emphasize the positive value of daughters (Within
  the family, Role models next door, equal in all
  ways given the space and opportunity)
• Respect and importance to women having and
  cherishing daughters. Celebrate her life, give
  her opportunity and a level playing field help
  them realise their potential
• Need to have communication messages
• With clarity, not loud or violent, positive image
  of girl child, value of having a girl

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Sex Selection

• Never
• Commit
• Condone or
• Remain silent