Never Given a Chance to Exist

8/10/2019 Never Given a Chance to Exist

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Never Given a Chance to Exist 1

In certain countries of the world, a new kind of discrimination as a direct result of

technological advances is surfacing. The development of fetal sex selection facilitated by the

use of ultrasound and gender biased abortions combined with cultural partiality for sons have

given rise to unnaturally high sex ratios. In the article, Evidence Mounts for Sex-Selective

Abortion in Asia, author Sidney Westley states, The 1992 figures are 119 boys for every 100girls in China, 114 in South Korea, and 110 in Taiwan. In India, national-level estimates are as

high as 112.(1995) In many present-day cultures, this practice is now effecting the population

configurations and distorting the equilibrium between male and female births. Recent statistics

have augmented this ratio. According to the United Nations Population Fund, 113 boys are

born for every 100 girls in China; the ratio is 112 to 100 in India and 110 per 100 females in

Pakistan. (2014) This ever-increasing international tendency has resulted in 160 million new

missingbaby girls over the last three decades; that is equal to the entire female population of

the United States. (Darnovsky, 2011) The ramifications of sex-selected abortions and fetal

screening amounts to, what has essentially become a war on women.

Westleys article employs a feminist perspective. According to Benokraitis, Feminist

theorists maintain that women often suffer injustice primarily because of their gender rather than

because of personal inadequacies such as low educational levels or not caring about success. They

emphasize the importance of freeing women from traditionally oppressive expectations, constraints,

roles, and behavior.(p15, 2014) Westley states, Son preference has deep social and cultural

roots in some East and South Asian societies. She further argues that, One sign of son

preference is higher mortality rates for girls than boys. (1995) Some explanations given for

first choice of a male child may include justifications such as that a male will continue the family

line and that a boy will support his parents during their declining years. Additional factors mayinclude that male children will remain with the family and are eligible to inherit. These

disparities are deep-rooted cultural biases based exclusively on sex.

As the youngest of seven children of Cuban immigrants, I can attest that son preference

is not limited to Asian countries. Latin cultures too laud the desirability of male offspring. A

father who has produced several boys is seen as more virile and looked upon with envy. My

father had one son followed by six daughters. With each birth, a chorus of maybe next time

was heard. Raised a devout Catholic who is open to life, a part of me nevertheless wonders how

much the size of my family was affected by my fathers desire for an heir, and a spare

mentality. Westleys commentary that mortality between ages one and four is strongly

affected by a childs sex and the sex of older siblings: the highest death rates are for girls with

older sisters.(1995) This statement made me wonder what my prospective chances of

survival would have been had I been born into an Asian family. I more than likely would not

have lived to enter elementary school had I been given the chance to exist at all.


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An interesting point made by Westley is, In a country with low fertility, sex-selective

abortion of early-order births may affect the sex distribution of the national population. (1995)

Varied consequences for the society and nation may result. One fearful outcome of a

disproportion in the sex ratio of the population and an abnormally greater number of

unmarried young men is an increase in female trafficking. Women and young girls from othercountries will be looked upon to make up for the shortage of prospective mates from their

countries of origin. The continuation of this vicious cycle is further prorogated by reducing a

womans worth to one based on their ability to provide gratification and pleasure for a male.

In conclusion, sex-selected abortion and fetal screening effects will continue to

influence global population ratios unless changes are made. Educational and cultural shifts are

needed to increase gender equality and restore the natural order.


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References

2.4.3 Gender Inequalities. (2014, January 1). Retrieved November 19, 2014, from

http://unfpa.org/psa/second-part-1-4-3/

Beary, B., Flamini, R., Glazer, S., & Weeks, J. (2011, October 4). Gendercide Crisis: Can the

Lethal Prejudice Against Girls be Changed? Retrieved November 20, 2014, from

http://www.sagepub.com/ritzerintro/study/materials/cqresearcher/77708_11.1cq.pdf

Darnovsky, M. (2011, June 25). The Consequence of Unnatural Selection: 160 Million Missing

Girls. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/genetic-crossroads/201106/the-consequence-

unnatural-selection-160-million-missing-girls

Westley, S. (1995, June 1). Evidence Mounts for Sex-Selective Abortion in Asia. Retrieved

November 19, 2014, fromhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12319402
http://www.sagepub.com/ritzerintro/study/materials/cqresearcher/77708_11.1cq.pdfhttp://www.sagepub.com/ritzerintro/study/materials/cqresearcher/77708_11.1cq.pdfhttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/genetic-crossroads/201106/the-consequence-unnatural-selection-160-million-missing-girlshttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/genetic-crossroads/201106/the-consequence-unnatural-selection-160-million-missing-girlshttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/genetic-crossroads/201106/the-consequence-unnatural-selection-160-million-missing-girlshttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12319402http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12319402http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12319402http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12319402http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/genetic-crossroads/201106/the-consequence-unnatural-selection-160-million-missing-girlshttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/genetic-crossroads/201106/the-consequence-unnatural-selection-160-million-missing-girlshttp://www.sagepub.com/ritzerintro/study/materials/cqresearcher/77708_11.1cq.pdf

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