The lowdown on falling sex ratio
Priyanka
Pulla, The Hindu, March 04, 2018
What is
it? How did it come about? Why does it matter? What next?
it? How did it come about? Why does it matter? What next?
A recent
report from the NITI Aayog said sex ratio at birth (SRB) nationwide had dropped
from 906 in 2012-2014 to 900 in 2013-2015. The SRB is the number of girls born
for every 1,000 boys. In all, 17 of 21 large Indian States saw a drop in the
SRB, with Gujarat performing the worst, declining 53 points. While the NITI
Aayog report used data up to 2013-15, newer data from India’s Sample
Registration System show the SRB fell even further in 2014-2016, from 900 to
898. While this is a highly disturbing trend, it isn’t new for India, which has
seen a consistent lowering of the SRB since the 1970s. In natural
circumstances, the SRB hovers around 952 girls for every 1,000 boys.
report from the NITI Aayog said sex ratio at birth (SRB) nationwide had dropped
from 906 in 2012-2014 to 900 in 2013-2015. The SRB is the number of girls born
for every 1,000 boys. In all, 17 of 21 large Indian States saw a drop in the
SRB, with Gujarat performing the worst, declining 53 points. While the NITI
Aayog report used data up to 2013-15, newer data from India’s Sample
Registration System show the SRB fell even further in 2014-2016, from 900 to
898. While this is a highly disturbing trend, it isn’t new for India, which has
seen a consistent lowering of the SRB since the 1970s. In natural
circumstances, the SRB hovers around 952 girls for every 1,000 boys.
The
number of girls born is naturally lower than the number of boys, and
demographers speculate that this may be nature’s way of offsetting the higher
risk that men have of dying — male babies are biologically weaker than females,
and men have historically seen higher mortality rates owing to risk-taking
behaviour and participation in wars. This evens out the sex ratio of a
population as it grows older. But India is a special case. Its SRB is far lower
than 952 because of the preference for the male child.
number of girls born is naturally lower than the number of boys, and
demographers speculate that this may be nature’s way of offsetting the higher
risk that men have of dying — male babies are biologically weaker than females,
and men have historically seen higher mortality rates owing to risk-taking
behaviour and participation in wars. This evens out the sex ratio of a
population as it grows older. But India is a special case. Its SRB is far lower
than 952 because of the preference for the male child.
This
means we are killing girl children in the womb. As on today, around 63 million
girls are estimated to be ‘missing’ in India because of such actions.
means we are killing girl children in the womb. As on today, around 63 million
girls are estimated to be ‘missing’ in India because of such actions.
Till the
1970s, female infanticide was the preferred way of killing the girl child,
notes a review in the journal Genetics in Medicine . But in the Seventies, sex
selection technologies like amniocentesis came about, in which doctors can test
the amniotic fluid around a developing foetus for genetic abnormalities. But
people soon realised this method could be used to determine the child’s sex and
to abort it, if female. Other technologies, including the cheaper and less
invasive ultrasound, followed, allowing more people to use them. As a 2010
report from the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) puts it, these technologies
gave son preference “a tiny, sleek technological nudge”.
1970s, female infanticide was the preferred way of killing the girl child,
notes a review in the journal Genetics in Medicine . But in the Seventies, sex
selection technologies like amniocentesis came about, in which doctors can test
the amniotic fluid around a developing foetus for genetic abnormalities. But
people soon realised this method could be used to determine the child’s sex and
to abort it, if female. Other technologies, including the cheaper and less
invasive ultrasound, followed, allowing more people to use them. As a 2010
report from the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) puts it, these technologies
gave son preference “a tiny, sleek technological nudge”.
Families
who were killing baby girls till then made the shift to abortions. A thriving
market for sex selection sprung up with doctors openly advertising their
services. In 1994, the government took notice and introduced the Prenatal
Diagnostics Techniques Act which punishes healthcare professionals for telling
expectant parents the sex of a child with imprisonment and hefty fines. In
2003, when technologies that allowed gender-selection even before conception
became available, the act was amended to become the Prenatal Conception and
Prenatal Determination Act (PC-PNDT). By any token, this Act has been a
failure. In November 2016, a report from the Asian Centre for Human Rights
noted that between 1994 and 2014, 2,266 cases of infanticide were registered in
India, against 2,021 cases of abortion under the PC-PNDT, even though abortions
outnumber infanticides today. In all, 17 out of 29 States had either not
registered any case, or had zero convictions. The PHFI report in 2010 found
major gaps in the training of personnel implementing PC-PNDT. Poor training
meant that they were unable to prepare strong cases against violators to secure
convictions.
who were killing baby girls till then made the shift to abortions. A thriving
market for sex selection sprung up with doctors openly advertising their
services. In 1994, the government took notice and introduced the Prenatal
Diagnostics Techniques Act which punishes healthcare professionals for telling
expectant parents the sex of a child with imprisonment and hefty fines. In
2003, when technologies that allowed gender-selection even before conception
became available, the act was amended to become the Prenatal Conception and
Prenatal Determination Act (PC-PNDT). By any token, this Act has been a
failure. In November 2016, a report from the Asian Centre for Human Rights
noted that between 1994 and 2014, 2,266 cases of infanticide were registered in
India, against 2,021 cases of abortion under the PC-PNDT, even though abortions
outnumber infanticides today. In all, 17 out of 29 States had either not
registered any case, or had zero convictions. The PHFI report in 2010 found
major gaps in the training of personnel implementing PC-PNDT. Poor training
meant that they were unable to prepare strong cases against violators to secure
convictions.
Low SRBs
starting from the Seventies have led to large numbers of “surplus men” today in
countries like India and China. There are concerns that skewed sex ratios lead
to more violence against both men and women, as well as human-trafficking. In
India, some villages in Haryana and Punjab have such poor sex ratios that men
“import” brides from other States. This is often accompanied by the
exploitation of these brides.
starting from the Seventies have led to large numbers of “surplus men” today in
countries like India and China. There are concerns that skewed sex ratios lead
to more violence against both men and women, as well as human-trafficking. In
India, some villages in Haryana and Punjab have such poor sex ratios that men
“import” brides from other States. This is often accompanied by the
exploitation of these brides.
India
must implement the PC-PNDT more stringently, but must also dedicate more
resources to fighting the preference for boys. Last week, the Drugs Technical
Advisory Board decided that ultrasound machines should be included in the Drugs
and Cosmetics Act, so that their import is regulated.
must implement the PC-PNDT more stringently, but must also dedicate more
resources to fighting the preference for boys. Last week, the Drugs Technical
Advisory Board decided that ultrasound machines should be included in the Drugs
and Cosmetics Act, so that their import is regulated.
