Ira Swasti- Where Have all the Women Gone?

You might have noticed the men’s queue at the metro station go on and on till even outside the station, while the women’s line ends less than halfway through!

UN reports second the point and surprisingly….the child sex ratio (no of boys/100 girls, not the usual estimate of per 1000 boys) has increased since 1991! And you thought, education and increased awareness levels would have brought about a change in attitudes.

One of the main factors responsible since then is the development and easy accessibility of sex-selection techniques. So, it is out in the open, that if you know the sex of your child, the majority of India will go for a boy. Now, even though the government has made it a punishable offence to use these techniques, it is only a “don’t-do-this” way of telling a child, which never works. The technique is being used extensively in certain pockets of India (even if illegally).

So why do parents prefer a boy? We have the roots of the problem in the system of a patriarchal society….but then, why specific to India? - Societal upbringing and pressure….that considers a girl child a less fortunate. The financial burdens associated with her (the problem of dowry being closely linked with it)…to carry on the family name and to shoulder the responsibility of the household once the chief bread earner can do so no more. One of the newspapers aptly described the thinking of such families “Eliminate them (girl foetus) now instead of dealing with the problems of raising a girl”. The “cost” of bringing up a girl child is the same as bringing up a boy child, but it is considered a “wasted investment” as the “returns” go to the girl’s “new” family after marriage. Just like any other problem in the country, this one too is based on self-interest.

The government initiative in this regard was to provide Rs 1 lac to each family for a girl child’s education. It almost reeks of a financial deal finalized, we’ll give you money, you provide the country with a girl child!

These solutions are born out of fear (of punishment) or incentives (such as money) to bring about a change which can never lead to long-term success rates.

Well, in most of the Western countries, the trend is that the son or the daughter will leave their parents behind as they turn 18, in search of independence. And so, it doesn’t matter much whether you have a girl or a boy. But, I personally do not profess such a culture, and so we are back to square one.

The obvious solutions that come to mind are women empowerment and their economic independence. But, a survey by Action India of women in Delhi revealed that even highly educated women have resorted to as many as eight abortions to ensure that they only give birth to a son! Infact, the mother’s educational level was directly proportional to an unfavourable sex ratio!! To add to it, there is actually an increase in the sex ratio when we move from rural to urban areas. It’s often a thing to boast the number of sons you have among certain rich elites. So where lies the solution?

A good example set by people that we look up to (maybe a certain Kalam) can change things. We probably need to create an environment, a culture in the society where families feel as proud and fortunate to have a girl child as they are for a boy child. And for that, participation of women themselves in such a movement is imperative! The change has to be conscience driven. For how long can the government keep telling you not to kill your own child?!

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The Author is a IIyr Economics Honours student and an Executive Team Member of DevelopmentChannel.org