Female Foeticide: Most Ramapant Social Evils

Female foeticide takes place when a foetus is aborted after it is determined to be female. Under this illegal practice, the sex of the unborn child is determined by using the technique of ultrasound and if it happens to be a female foetus, it is aborted through medicine or surgery. It is one of the most rampant social evils in the country. It is rooted in the patriarchal mindset where boys are preferred over girls for various irrational reasons, not only in rural but urban areas too. We have to raise awareness levels against the regressive practice of female foeticide, enforce laws far more stringently and provide much more incentives to the households for the birth of a girl child.

The patriarchal social structure in India and the society’s preference towards a male child is the major reason behind female foeticide. To carry forward the generation, families in general prefer the birth of sons over daughters. The male child is also required by the Hindu family to perform the last rites of father in the absence of which, it is believed that the father would not attain salvation after death.

Inadequate enforcement

Eliminating female foetus in the womb of a woman is possible with the help of simple techniques starting from ultrasound and then some medicines which forces the foetus to die.

To stop the evil practice of female foeticide, strict punishment in the form of fine or jail to the person requesting abortion of the unborn girl child is prescribed under Prenatal Diagnostics Techniques (PNDT) Act. Simultaneously the practitioner who helps in sex determination for this purpose is also required to be punished equally.

But the PNDT has failed to check female infanticide as the sex determination and services needed for the same have mushroomed accordingly. Law has been unable to curb the misuse of ultrasound machines by unscrupulous operators. After the determination of female foetus, many women go for abortion of their own accord. Sometimes they forced by their family members who find some medical practitioners willing to carry the surgical procedure against the enforced law.

Growing Menace

Though there is little justification for the unscrupulous murder of female foetus, three is an increasing trend of families in urban as well as rural regions across the country going for the illegal practice of sex-determination test. On its part, the government has attempted to regulate the use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques for legal or medical purposes through the PNDT Act 1994 and has also set up a central body to check killing of female foetus through abortion.

Also, we cannot blame the entire doctor community for carrying out sex-selective tests. It’s only an unscrupulous bunch of doctors who become willing partners of parents in not allowing many girls to come into this world.

Winds of Change

The winds of change have now started blowing in the society with girls doing well in diverse professions, which were considered male-bastions up until now, such as boxing, wrestling, martial arts, armed forces, etc. ‘Beti Bachao, BetiPadhao (Save and educate the girl child) has become a countrywide movement. Fortunately, a growing number of medical practitioners have now rallied themselves against the sex selective abortions. The development is very encouraging for the development of the nation and it will also help correct the skewed male-female ratio in many states of the country.

Conclusion: Though there is PNDT Act 1994 in place to prevent the abuse of sex-determination test, we require an attitudinal change in society to abolish the heinous practice of female foeticide. Fortunately, the society is now beginning to realize the importance of the girl child with the result that equal opportunities of nutrition, health, education and employment are now available to women.