Despite decades of struggle particularly by the feminist movement, gender discrimination – a serious breach of human rights — continues to cast a shadow on women in India. In India the gender bias against females begins in the womb itself.
The message of the national census data in the last several decades isn’t encouraging vis-à-vis gender equality. The number of females against that of males, even in the modern times, at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, has fallen to 914 girls against 1000 boys, the lowest since independence. The downward trend has been unremitting since 1961, and the national average hides the unevenness of the downward trend. For instance, the proportion of females to males is the worst in the states of Haryana and Punjab wherein some areas it is as low as 774. Certain Northeastern states and Kerala are noble exceptions to the general rule. Child sex ration in India (girls per 1000 boys in 0 to 6 age group is: 1961- 976, 1971 – 964, 1981 – 952, 1991 – 945, 2001 – 927, 2011 – 914. In Top state: Mizoram – 971, Meghalaya – 970. In Bottom states: Punjab – 846, Haryana – 830. This information is obtained via census.
Recently released data shows that girls aged 1 to 5 years are 75 per cent more likely to die than boys. According to World Health Organization (WHO), infant and child mortality are declining in India and across the world, though not as fast as was hoped in India. Simultaneously, most of the world is experiencing a faster fall in female infant and child mortality than male, on account of well established biological factor which makes girls better survivors of early infancy, gives equal access to resources.
The WHO report revealed that high girl child mortality is explained by socio-cultural values. So strong is the biological advantage for girls in early childhood that higher mortality among girls should be seen as a powerful warning that differential treatment or access to resources is putting girls at a disadvantage. High female mortality from age one onwards clearly indicated sustained discrimination and neglect in three important areas; food and nutrition, health care and emotional wellbeing. Studies have shown that health-related neglect of the girl child, which may involve waiting longer before taking a sick girl to a doctor than a sick boy, and is also reflected in lower rates of immunization for girls than boys.
In September, at a Congressional hearing on ‘India’s missing girls’, American lawmakers and experts asked India to strictly enforce its rules, with several of them, while holding the ‘complex web of socio-economic and cultural factors’ responsible for discrimination against girls, called for increasing awareness in this regard. They have also asked the US government to help play a role in curbing such horrific practices and abuses against the girl child in India. Earlier, the WHO said that increased access to technology, that allows parents to know the sex of their foetus, had left Asia short of 117 million women, mostly in India and China.
Easy access to technology and spawning of uncontrolled number of clinics with sex determination machines across India, has meant that baby girls are more at risk than ever before. Studies have revealed that in families where one girl child already exists, the chances of a second girl being born is as low as 54 per cent. In a family with two female children, the chances of third girl being born is as low as 20 per cent. A rough estimate indicated that there are around 80,000 ultrasonography clinics, including mobile clinics with portable ultrasound machines – spread all over the country.
The Union Ministry of Health (MoH) says overall across the country, child sex ratio fell by 15 points in rural India as against 4 points in urban India. Earlier, sex selection was more an urban phenomenon, but now, the trend has clearly shifted to rural areas. One of the main reasons for this is portable ultrasound machines. Operators of this machines and doctors realized that the market is in rural areas and this is why the government has banned unregistered ‘on call’ portable ultrasound machines.
Contrary to the official focus on improving the child sex ratio in rural areas, social activists say, the real problem is in urban areas like Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad — prosperous cities not in remote areas. The 2011 census figures show that while the sex ratio in rural areas is 919 per 1000 boys, in urban areas it is 902:1000. Female foeticide is organized murder; parents do it because they don’t want daughters, the doctors do it for money and the government looks at it as a birth control measure.
Sex determination technology was introduced in India in the mid 1960s as a population control measure. No one then bothered to understand the implication of sex determination as a method of population control. The government was, therefore, compelled to bring the pre-natal diagnostic techniques (regulation and prevention of misuse) Act (enacted in 1994 and brought into operation in 1996). But it was only in 2000, on a public interest litigation (PIL), that the Supreme Court issued a directive to all State Governments to make an effective and prompt implementation of the Act. The National Planning Commission has in its last plan, also spoken of achieving a stable balance in sex ratio.
Sex determination will never allow that to happen, say social experts, while demanding a total ban on use of pre-natal diagnostic technology in the country.
Goa’s child sex ratio of 938 girls for 1000 boys in 2001 has shockingly declined to 920 girls for 1000 boys in 2011, which is a serious cause for concern and a strong indication that female foeticide is widely taking place in the state with the use of technology, in the last about four years or so.
Overall, sex ratio in Goa has, however, increased from 961 females for 1000 males in 2001 to 968:1000 in 2011. Over a century ago in 1910, the sex ratio in the state was an enviable 1,108:1000 in favor of females. At the time of liberation in 1961, it stood at 1066:1000. Ten years later in 1971, it had fallen to 981:1000 and has continued declining from then onwards to reach 961:1000 in 2001, only to marginally increase to 968:1000 in 2011.
Since the amendment of Rule II (II) of the PNDT Act on 4 June 2011, authorities concerned are able to confiscate unregistered ultrasound machines and scanners that can detect sex of an unborn child, and are further able to take action against ‘service provider’ with fine and imprisonment under Section 23 of the Act for non-registration. As per the amended law, a first-time offender is liable to pay a fine of Rs 10000 and face a maximum three-year jail term. If the offence is repeated, the guilty person must cough up Rs 50000 as fine and undergo imprisonment for five years.
India is, indeed the most dangerous place in the world for baby girl. Unfortunately, though banned long years ago, sex determination tests are rampant in India and female foeticide goes on widely with apparent impunity.
(The writer is a freelance journalist)
