NEW DELHI: The increasing violence towards women in public spaces has contributed to an increase in female foeticide as many would-be parents fear security of a girl child, says a recently concluded study in Haryana by the Centre for Social Research.
"We spoke to many affluent young couples who said that it would be much easier for them to leave a boy alone at home as compared to a girl," said Dr Ranjana Kumari from CSR, who was on the research team of the study. "In villages, too, they believe that though dowry is a one-time payment, the burden of 'maintaining chastity' is immense," said Kumari.
The study took place in Kurukshetra and Ambala, districts where sex ratio is below 800 girls per 1000 boys, from May 2009 till April this year, following a similar study in Delhi. During the course of the study, it was found that apart from violence in public spaces, a woman who had only daughters was also more likely to be the target of domestic violence.
The all-India gender ratio has been consistently declining since 1961 when it was 976-1000 to the current all-time low of only 914-1000, probably because female foeticide is no longer an urban issue. "With portable ultrasound machines, even a villager can determine the sex of an unborn child," said Dr Manasi Mishra, also on the research team. Although the machines need to be registered with the local chief medical officer, they found that many were in operation regardless.
Calling the issue a "civilization crisis", Kumari cited improper governance and lack of monitoring of the law as major concerns. "Even if we file a case, the court rejects it saying we are not a notified agency. State governments are negligent; the budget allocated is little; political parties, too, are not cooperative," she said. Members of parliament of Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan had all been allocated Rs five lakh each for spreading awareness on the issue, "but nobody knows where the money has gone," said Mishra.
The entire industry thrives on clandestine practices, illegal yet ignored. The Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, enacted in 1994, outlaws sex determining ultrasound scans, and first-time offenders can face imprisonment of three years, as well as a fine of Rs 10,000. Yet, the law is neither followed nor enforced. According to a 2007 handbook released by the ministry of health and family welfare, only 384 cases had been registered under the Act in India.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Violence-towards-women-cause-for-increase-in-female-foeticide-says-study/articleshow/9842051.cms
No comments:
Post a Comment