Female Foeticide4

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August 9, 2005 -- Vol.10, No.1 http://www.ideajournal.com/articles.php?id=37?id=37

Female Foeticide In Punjab: Exploring the socio-economic

and cultural dimensionsby Ajinder Walia

Abstract

It is a disgrace for the Indian society, which considers the birth of a girl child as a bad

investment in future. She is considered to be consumer rather than a producer, and this

narrow viewpoint of the Indian patriarchal society has lead to horrid practices like femaleinfanticide and female foeticide. The present study was conducted in Punjab that has

assisimilated one of the lowest sex ratios of the country. For the study, 240 respondents were

taken from three districts of Punjab viz., Ludhiana having low sex ratio, Bathinda havingmedium sex ratio and Ferozepur having high sex ratio (according to provisional census of

2001) Majority of the sample taken for study approved of the heinous act of female foeticide.

Escalating demands of dowry was cited as the main reason for it. Daughters were unable to

provide social security to parents and called for unnecessary investment on themselves, thefruits of which were taken away by the in-laws. The respondents feared that the decline in

sex ratio might lead to degradation of moral values in the society resulting in polyandry,

violence against women, red trafficking etc. The suggestive measures which flew unabatedfrom the study included strict implementation of laws banning female foeticide and dowry,

providing old age pension for parents who had no son, free and compulsory education for

girls, job reservation for women in specific occupations and giving them an equal share inthe property, in the true sense of the word.

INTRODUCTION

The Atharvaveda says, “The birth of a daughter, grant it elsewhere, here grant a son”. This

saying in the holy scripture sums up the Indian attitude towards female children who are

subjected to multifarious travails inflicted by the society on them. The girl children in India

have been the most vulnerable for centuries and, are even today, vulnerable to the insults of

deprivation as well as discrimination. Whatever the natural biological laws of human

reproduction had given mankind for balancing its natural sex ratio, has been taken away by

man made laws, customs, traditions, religious beliefs and sophisticated medical technology,

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resulting in a lower status in society for girls as well as women. For too long have they been

left on the back burner, facing discrimination throughout their entire journey from cradle to

the grave. In particular, peculiar to South Asia, and certainly to India, tradition, values and

customs encrusted over time have resulted in the insatiable desire for sons, with families

having totally marginalized the joy and pleasure in giving birth to a baby

girl.

It is agonizing to know that the gender bias and deep-rooted prejudice and discrimination

against girl child, which have been there down the centuries, are now found to begin in the

womb itself. The girl child in the womb faces the peril of prebirth elimination i.e. female

foeticide. The latest advances in modern medical sciences - the tests like amniocentesis and

ultrasonography are being abused. The tests which were originally designed for the detection

of gender related congenital abnormality of the foetus are now being abused particularly in

India and Asian countries primarily to detect the sex of the foetus with the intention of

getting it aborted if it happens to be that of a female. Such foetus is considered to be

“suffering from the very disease of being a female foetus”. If the female foetus is lucky

enough to survive till her birth then she faced the peril of elimination in infancy by female

infanticide. (Kolloor 1990) defined it as, “Killing of an entirely dependent girl child under

one year of age by mother, parents or others in whose care she is entrusted”. Historically,

female infanticide has been in existence since long. Girl infants have been known to be killed

by rubbing poison on the mother’s breast, by feeding infants with milk of errukam flower or

oleander berries, by using sap of calotropis plant, paddy grains, giving sleeping tablets or by

simply burying the girl infants alive. Law banned this heinous practice in 1870, more than a



century ago. Yet this abuse of girl child which is violation of her human right to life

continues to prevail not only in some parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat but recently has been

found in some districts of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra as well (Kumari 1995).

Sex determination tests are seen as providing a ‘reproductive choice’ - a choice to decide to

have a boy or a girl. However women do not really enjoy an unfettered choice. Choice

cannot exist in the context where women are socialized to subordinate their interests to those

of men; where women attain a status only through marriage and by giving birth to children

preferably sons; where they largely bear the burden of cooking, collecting firewood, fetching

water, bearing and rearing children, tending cattle; eat last and the least, have lesser access to

education and health services. Choice is only meaningful if it can be exercised in the context

of material, social and gender equity. The availability of sex detection tests creates a

situation where women are forced to undergo the test either by external pressure from family

members or by internalized social values.

The supporters of sex detection tests argue that on the basis of the theory of demand and

supply, an excess of males over females achieved with the reduction of unwanted, and hence,

neglected female children would actually raise the status of women. However if mere

numbers were to indicate status, then in several states in India, where adverse sex ratio

exists, status of women would be high. On the contrary, one observes that incidence of

dowry deaths, rape and other atrocities being committed in these states is as high as in other

states. Based on anthropological evidence (Dube 1983) it has been observed that societies

with adverse female sex ratio have indicated the presence of customs like polyandry and

abduction and purchase of women. It is strongly felt, that contrary to raising the status of



women, adverse sex ratio would increase the incidence of rape, prostitution and violence

against women.

Amniocentesis and other diagnostic techniques are viewed as important ways of arriving at a

‘balanced family’, which in turn, will reduce the birth rate and control population growth. If

an equal representation of a male and a female child for a couple can be considered as

constituting a ‘balanced family’, the presence of only male children should not be considered

as ‘balanced family’. Some argue that female foeticide is a powerful method of lowering the

birth rate without coercion. But “Is not female foeticide a coercion?”

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The various districts of the Punjab state were divided into three categories viz., districts with

high, medium and low sex ratio on the basis of statistics of Provinsional census of 2001 One

district was selected from each category i.e. Ferozepur with high sex ratio, Bathinda with

medium sex ratio and Ludhiana with low sex ratio. Stratified random sampling technique

was used to draw a sample for the study. The respondents were divided into farming and

nonfarming households equally .Two blocks were selected randomly from each district.

From each selected block, two villages were selected randomly. Eighty respondents were

selected from each district making a total sample of 240 (120 from farming families and 120

from non-farming families). The respondent was usually the female head of the family. The

data regarding the present study was collected by conducting personal interviews as well as

buried questionnaire technique.



RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The attitude of the female respondents towards the practice of female foeticide was drawn

out using the buried questionnaire technique.. The reasons for indulgence in this illegal and

immoral act were known from the respondents themselves. The following main aspects were

investigated and related findings are detailed out below.

1. Attitude towards female foeticide

Female foeticide refers to the elimination of female foetus through abortions. It has been

cited as one of the important reasons for declining sex ratio. Table 1. reveals the attitude of

respondents towards female foeticide.

Ludhiana is the region with the lowest sex ratio. Here, 67.50 percent of farming respondents

and half the sample of non-farming respondents gave a nod to female foeticide. They argued

that they could afford only one female child in the family. A woman could not afford to fill

her courtyard with female children in such an inflationary environment. In the total sample

taken from Ludhiana 27.50 percent expressed their dissent towards female foeticide.

According to them, it was a heinous act and should be punished by law.

Bathinda is the region with middle sex ratio. In Bathinda 52.50 percent of the farming

families and 47.50 percent of non-farming families approved of female foeticide. In this

region many female respondents openly admitted to have undergone female foeticide. Some

respondents used the pretext of preferring a male child to give company to their already



present male children. So they avoided having daughters but preferred having a son. They

confided that if they already had one son, they could afford to have another son but if they

had one daughter, they could not afford to have another daughter. They would loose their

respect in the society if they had only daughters. In the total sample from Bathinda region,

18.75 percent of the respondents looked down upon this act. They felt that it was a crime,

which should be punished by law. They felt that every living being has to undergo 84 lakhs

cycles of birth and death. By killing a living being in the womb, we send the girl child one

step backward in the cycle of birth and death.

Ferozepur was the region amongst the three districts, which had the highest sex ratio.

Majority of the farming and non-farming families expressed an indifferent attitude towards

female foeticide. Here, 12.50 percent of the farming respondents and 17.50 percent of non-

farming respondents approved of female foeticide. The respondents with this attitude felt one

girl was more than sufficient in a family. Girls were meant to be born in the household of

rich and big farmers and affluent families who could bear the expenses of rearing female

children. Some respondents even went on record to say that female foeticide was a good way

to keep girl population in check. They went to the extent of demanding more easy and

accessible facilities for sex detection and consequently female foeticide. In Ferozepur 17.50

percent of the sample expressed their dissent towards female foeticide, which according to

them was a heinous crime punishable by law.

Table 1. Distribution of respondents according to their attitude towards female

foeticide



Attitude

towards

female

foeticide

Ludhiana Bathinda Ferozepur Total

Farming Non

farming

Total Farming Non

farming

Total Farming Non

farming

Total Farming Non

farming

G. Total

Favourable27

(67.50)

20

(50.00)

47

(58.75)

21

(52.50)

19

(47.50)

40

(50.00)

5

(12.50)

7

(17.50)

12

(15.00)

53

(44.17)

46

(38.33)

99

(41.25)

Indifferent6

(15.00)5

(12.50)11

(13.75)13

(32.50)12

(30.00)25

(31.25)30

(75.00)24

(60.00)64

(80.00)48

(40.00)41

(34.16)89

(37.08)

Unfavourable7

(17.50)15

(37.50)22

(27.50)6

(15.00)9

(22.50)15

(18.75)5

(12.50)9

(22.50)14

(17.50)18

(15.00)33

(27.50)51

(21.25)

Total40

(100.00)40

(100.00)80

(100.00)40

(100.00)40

(100.00)80

(100.00)40

(100.00)40

(100.00)80

(100.00)120

(100.00)120

(100.00)240

(100.00)

Figures in parentheses indicate the percentage

Thus Table 1 reveals that 44.17 percent of farming respondents and 38.33 percent of non-

farming respondents endorsed the act of female foeticide. A majority of 41.25 percent of the

sample approved of this act under one pretext or the other. A considerable 37.08 percent of

the respondents in the sample for the study were indifferent towards it. Ludhiana was the

district in which 58.75 percent of the respondents expressed a favorable attitude towards

female foeticide while in Ferozepur an overwhelming 80 percent of the respondents were

indifferent to towards it.

2. Reasons cited for female foeticide

The respondents who expressed a favorable attitude towards female foeticide cited various

reasons for it. Table 2.gives an insight into these reasons.

In Ludhiana district about 59 percent of the sample derived from the region expressed the

reasons why they underwent or would undergo female foeticide. Out of this, an

overwhelming majority of 82.97 percent cited dowry as the main cause for female foeticide.



For them marriage had become an expensive affair. The rise in the cost of living had

compelled them think seriously about having daughters. They had to pay a huge dowry to

their son-in-laws so that they would keep their daughters happy. The greater the number of

daughters, more was the economic burden on the parents. About 86 percent of those who

gave a nod to female foeticide stated that girls failed to provide any kind of social security to

parents. Parents could not expect their daughters to earn and feed them in old age. A

negligible 3 percent of respondents even felt that female foeticide was a good way to check

the growth of female population.

In Bathinda district about half of the total sample taken endorsed the act of female foeticide.

An overwhelming majority of 80 percent of them cited dowry as the cause. The farming

families argued that they had to first raise a daughter and then spend Rs 15 lakh on her

wedding. Nowadays they did not get this kind of income from their land. It was a great

monetary loss to the family. They reported the slogans given by doctors. “Better to spend Rs.

1000 now and save Rs. 10 lakh later”. In Bathinda a majority of 75 percent of those who

approved of female foeticide expressed that girls were an unnecessary investment. They

repeated, “Bringing up a daughter is like watering a neighbourer’s plant”. They felt that

parents brought up daughters, gave them the best of clothing and facilities only to he taken

over by her in laws. Even if a girl was earning, the parents had no right to that earning. It was

shared by her in-laws. A considerable 60 percent of the respondents cited post marital

problems faced by the girl, lack of social security provided by female children and denial of

property to the girl child as the reason for approving female foeticide. They even

categorically took the name of the doctor who indulged in eliminating female fetuses.



In Ferozepur, which had comparatively the highest sex ratio in three districts, dowry again

came out to be the major reason for approving female foeticide, although only 15 percent of

the sample taken from Ferozepur showed a favorable attitude towards it. The respondents

argued that they could not afford to have three to four daughters and worry about marrying

them off and giving them dowry. They would virtually become paupers if they did so. Girls

took dowry from their parents while sons brought huge amount of dowry for their parents.

Secondly, half of the sample who approved of female foeticide confided that they had to bear

a large amount of pressure from their family members particularly mother-in-law so as not to

beget daughters. “The mother in-law did not want her courtyard to be filled by daughters”,

stated some of the respondents. A significant 41.67 percent of interviewees also considered

girls as second-class citizens as they provided no social security to parents in old age. They

were considered an unnecessary investment.

Table 2. Distribution of respondents according to the reasons cited by them for female

foeticide


Reasons Farming

Non

farming Total Farming

Non


Non


Non

farming G. Total

Dowry24

(88.88)15

(75.00)39

(82.97)17

(80.95)15

(78.94)32

(80.00)3

(60.00)5

(71.42)8

(66.66)44

(83.01)35

(76.08)79

(79.79)

Post marital problems

15(55.55)

11(55.00)

26(55.31)

11(52.38)

13(68.42)

24(60.00)

1(20.00)

3(42.85)

4(33.33)

27(50.94)

27(58.69)

54(54.54)

Unnecessaryinvestment

19(70.37)

13(65.00)

32(68.08)

15(71.42)

15(78.94)

30(75.00)

2(40.00)

3(42.85)

5(41.67)

36(67.92)

31(67.39)

67(67.67)

No socialsecurity

23(85.18)

17(85.00)

40(85.10)

11(52.38)

13(68.42)

24(60.00)

2(40.00)

3(42.85)

5(41.67)

36(67.92)

33(71.73)

69(69.69)

Denial of property

-2

(10.00)2

(4.25)8

(38.09)16

(84.21)24

(60.00)1

(20.00)2

(28.57)3

(25.00)9

(16.98)20

(43.47)29

(29.29)



Insistence of familymembers

9(33.33)

5(25.00)

14(29.75)

7(33.33)

5(26.31)

12(30.00)

3(60.00)

3(42.85)

6(50.00)

19(35.84)

13(28.26)

32(32.32)

Any other -1

(5.00)1

(2.12)- - -

2(40.00)

-2

(16.67)2

(3.77)1

(2.17)3

(3.03)


Thus Table 2.reveals the major reasons cited by the respondents having a favorable attitude

towards female foeticide. An overwhelming majority of 79.79 percent of the female

respondents cited dowry as the main cause for eliminating the female foetus. They stated that

with rising costs and increase in consumerism, they were unable to meet the escalating costs

of giving dowry to daughters. A considerable 69.69 percent of interviewees opined that

daughters could not provide social security to parents. They were an unnecessary investment

for the parents. Parents invested in the food, education, clothing and other expenses of the

girl children but their in-laws took the fruits. A minimal 3.03 percent stated that female

foeticide was a good way to keep girl child population in check. Moreover with increase in

the immorality in the world, girl children had to be brought up with extreme caution and care

lest they should be victimized by various evils, which endangered the female sex in the

human society.

3. Future implications of declining sex ratio

The decline in the number of females can have serious repercussions for the future. The

respondents were asked about the possible consequences and their responses were

categorized in Table3.



Table 3. Distribution of respondents according to the future implications cited by them

of declining sex ratio

Future

implications


Farming

Non


Non


Non


Non

farming G. Total

Difficulty infinding matchfor boy

37(92.50)

33(82.50)

70(87.50)

40(100.00)

38(95.00)

78(97.50)

40(100.00)

35(87.50)

75(93.75)

117(97.50)

106(88.34)

223(92.92)

Decline in the practice of

dowry

8(20.00)

6(15.00)

14(17.50)

11(27.50)

7(5.83)

18(22.50)

15(37.50)

14(35.00)

29(36.25)

34(28.33)

27(22.50)

61(25.41)

Bride pricewill start

7(5.83)

3(7.50)

10(12.50)

9(22.50)

4(10.00)

13.(16.25)

-3

(7.50)3

(3.75)16

(13.34)10

(8.33)26

(10.83)

Increase in thestatus of women

25(62.50)

16(40.00)

41(51.25)

31(77.50)

13(32.50)

44(55.00)

17(42.50)

14(35.00)

31(38.75)

73(60.83)

43(35.83)

116(48.33)

Degradation insociety

26(65.00)

21(52.50)

47(58.75)

11(27.50)

24(20.00)

35(43.75)

16(40.00)

13(32.50)

29(36.25)

53(44.16)

58(48.33)

111(46.25)

Degradation of moral values

23(57.50)

22(58.00)

45(56.25)

7(5.83)

17(42.50)

24(30.00)

12(30.00)

8(20.00)

21(26.25)

43(35.83)

47(39.16)

90(37.50)

Lead to all

male families

30

(75.00)

35

(43.75)

65

(81.25)

35

(87.50)

32

(80.00)

67

(83.75)

24

(60.00)

11

(27.50)

35

(43.75)

89

(74.17)

78

(65.00)

167

(69.58)

Any other 3

(7.50)1

(2.50)4

(5.00)1

(2.50)-

1(1.25)

- - -4

(3.33)1

(0.83)5

(2.08)


In Ludhiana district an overwhelming majority of 87.50 percent of the respondents feared

that they would face difficulty in finding match for their male children. Supporting their

earlier view, they apprehended that it would lead to families where there would be only

males. The respondents from Bathinda district were unanimous with the their Ludhiana

counterparts regarding the repercussions of the declining sex ratio. A considerable 77.50



percent of farming respondents of Bathinda were slightly optimistic about the future state of

affairs. They predicted that it might lead to increase in the status of women. In both

Ludhiana and Bathinda a negligible percentage of respondents felt that decline in sex ratio

would lead to decline in the practice of giving dowry and on the contrary the practice of

bride price may start. For them it seemed to be a utopia.

As far as Ferozepur was concerned, all the respondents from the farming families and 87.50

percent of the non-farming respondents expressed their concern over the probability of

finding a suitable match for their male children. However only 27.50 percent of non-farming

respondents as compared to 60 percent of farming respondents from Ferozepur district

believed that in future they would have all male families. This may be due to the fact that the

non-farming families were usually illiterate or very little educated. They could not foresee

such a long-term consequence whereas farming interviewees could. A considerable 26.25

and 36.25 percent of the sample from Ferozepur felt that the continuous decline in the

number of female children would lead to degradation of moral values and hence degradation

in society. It might lead to an increased incidence of rape, violence against women,

immorality, red traffic, prostitution and polyandry.

Thus Table3. reveals that an overwhelming majority of 97.50 percent of the respondents

from farming as well as 88.34 percent of the respondents from the non-farming families in

all the three districts expressed their apphrensions about finding a suitable match for their

male children if the sex ratio continued to decline in future. They felt it might lead to a

society where there would be “all male families”.



4. Suggestions for improvement

The respondents were asked to give suggestions for dealing with the problem of declining

sex ratio in the country. Their responses have been categorized as shown in Table 4.

In Ludhiana an overwhelming majority of 80 percent of the respondents from the farming

families and 62.50 percent of non-farming families felt that the legislative measures should

be stringently implemented to prevent female foeticide and female infanticide. The doctors

and nurses who are found guilty should be brought to book. They wanted that laws should

also be strictly enforced regarding giving and taking of dowry. A considerable 68.75 percent

of the sample from Ludhiana wanted that free and compulsory education should be provided

to female children so that they could support themselves during exigencies. The non-farming

respondents gave lesser impetus to this as compared to the farming respondents as they were

mostly poor and did not realize the importance of education in the life of a girl child.

In Bathinda district a majority of 78.75 percent of the respondents agreed with views

expressed by respondents of Ludhiana district. However 12.50 percent of farming

respondents and 45 percent of non-farming respondents wanted that women should be

imparted skills and training through various vocational programmes. The non-farming

interviewees gave more impetus to this suggestion as they felt that if a girl child had some

skill she could also augment the income of their poor family. The farming respondents

wanted their daughters to stay at home and not to work outside.



Table 4. Suggestions for improvement of declining sex ratio as given by the respondents

Suggestions for

improvement


FarmingNon

farmingTotal Farming

Non


Non


Non

farmingG. Total

Strict enactmentof legislativemeasures

32(80.00)

25(62.50)

57(71.25)

29(72.50)

34(85.00)

63(78.75)

37(92.50)

26(65.00)

63(78.75)

98(81.67)

85(70.83)

183(76.25)

Media tohighlight theimportance of girl child

5(12.50)

12(30.00)

17(21.25)

6(15.00)

9(22.50)

15(18.75)

24(60.00)

21(52.50)

45(56.25)

35(29.16)

42(35.00)

77(32.08)

Skill andtraining to beimparted towomen

11(27.50)

13(32.50)

24(30.00)

5(12.50)

18(45.00)

23(28.75)

24(60.00)

16(40.00)

40(50.00)

40(33.33)

47(39.17)

87(36.25)

Education to bemadecompulsory for women

31(77.50)

24(60.00)

55(68.75)

28(70.00)

33(82.50)

61(76.25)

35(87.50)

27(67.50)

62(77.50)

94(78.33)

84(70.00)

178(74.17)

Economicschemes can bestarted for women

14(35.00)

3(32.50)

27(33.75)

22(55.00)

19(47.50)

41(51.25)

10(25.00)

18(45.00)

28(35.00)

46(38.33)

50(41.67)

96(40.00)

Girls to be givenshare in the property

4(10.00)

8(20.00)

12(15.00)

7(17.50)

2(5.00)

9(11.25)

5(12.50)

3(7.50)

8(10.00)

16(13.33)

13(10.83)

29(12.08)

Any other - - -2

(5.00)-

2(2.50)

- - -2

(1.67)-

2(0.83)


As far as Ferozepur was concerned 78.75 percent of the sample gave emphasis on legislative

measures while 77.50 percent accentuated the role of education for improving the sex ratio in

the state and the country. One quarter of the farming and 45 percent of the non-farming

respondents from Ferozepur wanted that government should start various schemes by which

economic benefits could be accrued to those families who had daughters. The economic

factor was more alluring to the non-farming respondents as compared to farming respondents

because of their low level of income. They gave the example of ‘Shagan scheme’, which was

launched by the Punjab Government and involved giving Rs. 5001/- as shagan wherever a

female child was getting married off by her parents. A minimal 10 percent of the respondents



wanted that girls should be given a share in the property.

Thus table 4. reveals that majority of the respondents from all the three districts wanted

government to effectively implement laws against female foeticide and dowry. Most of them

also emphasized the role of education to improve the situation.

Conclusion and Policy suggestions

It can be concluded from the present study that majority of the respondents approved of

female foeticide under one pretext or the other. Dowry was cited as the main reason behind

it. Daughters were unable to provide social security to their parents in old age and thus were

considered an unnecessary investment. At the same time, respondents were apprehensive of

finding a suitable match for their male children The following suggestive measures flew out

from the study.

1. Laws have been passed declaring female foeticide as illegal. Advertising for prenatal

prediction of sex has also been declared illegal. Efforts should be made to implement

these laws effectively. Strict punishment should be given to the defaulters.

2. The trend of taking and giving of dowry which takes place mostly in educated and

upper class homes can not be discouraged by laws alone. It is entrenched in the

mindset of India’s people and no amount of preaching would stop it. However efforts

should continue to be made at the individual as well as at the government level.

Stringent and effective laws should be supported by speedy trials, dowry giving and

taking cases should be tried by a special court and short stay homes should be set up



for battered women.

3. Efforts and provisions should be made to provide social security to parents who are

above 65 years of age and have only daughters. They should be provided with old

age pension if they do not have a son. Most of the respondents in the study who had

daughters feared for their social security especially in old age.

4. Girl children should be provided free and compulsory education up to higher

secondary level. This would decrease the so-called “unnecessary investment on girl

children” made by the parents on their daughters. They would stop taking their

daughters as a liability, which many respondents taken for the study did grumble

about.

5. Certain schemes should be started for providing economic provisions for the female

children. For this purpose, government should start various employment schemes for

females where 100% reservation could be made for women in occupations like

teaching, nursing, as telephone operators etc.

6. Women’s right to own and inherit property and the social obligation of daughters to

support parents in the same way as sons, can be spread by policy intervention to

inculcate these new values in households as well as legal support to implement these

values should be provided.

7. The Ministry of Women and Child Welfare should dispatch congratulatory greetings

to couples who attain parenthood with the birth of a girl child. Many respondents in

the study felt shame and embarrassment about having many daughters. The



government by dispatching such greetings could spread awareness that the birth of a

girl is a joyous occasion and would instill confidence in the mother who usually finds

herself at the receiving end whenever a girl child is born.

8. Religious education can play a role by preaching against female foeticide, dowry and

discrimination against the girl children.

9. Moral education should be imparted in schools. Children should be taught to uphold

morals and refrain from practices of dowry, female foeticide, gender bias. The

vulnerable minds of the children should be so influenced that they grow up as adults

who consider practicing dowry and female foeticide as immoral.

10. Various monetary benefits should be provided to parents having daughters. Only the

state of Tamil Nadu has offered a savings bond of Rs. 2000/- to families that accept

sterilization after bearing two daughters and no son. It has also started a scheme

whereby, girls from scheduled castes who after completing grade VIII could receive a

bonus of Rs. 5000/-

11. Women should also be socialized from early childhood to consider themselves as

equal to men. They should be encouraged to assume all those responsibilities, which

are normally considered to be belonging to the male domain. This would be a

positive influence on the coming generations as today’s girl child would be

tomorrow’s mother as well as mother in-law.

References



Dube L (1983) Misadventures in amniocentesis. Economic and Political Weekly 40 (2): 279-

80.

Kollor T M (1990) Female infanticide: A Psychological analysis. Grass Roots Action,

Special issue on Girl child April 3, and pp 3.

Kumari R (1995) Rural female adolescence: Indian scenario. Social Change 25 (2): 177-88.

Mane P N (1991) Socialization of Hindu women in their childhood: An analysis of

Literature. The Journal of Family Welfare 52 (1): 81-96.

Puri N (1998) The girl child in India. The Journal of Family Welfare 44 (3): 1-8.

Rai U (1992) Female infanticide rampant in Salem. Indian Express, July 4. Pp. 4

Srivastava R D (2000) Girls are second-class citizens everywhere. The Times of India,

January 17: 3.

Yadav S and Badari V S (1999) Gender Preference and Anxiety of Pregnant Women. The

Indian Journal of Social Work 60 (4): 538-51.

Copyright © Ajinder Walia

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