Indians prefer sons, snuff out girls
Friday 05-08-2005
By Sugita Katyal
Infanticide may still be there in small pockets, but foeticide is more rampant in India
IT’S a scenario that’s hit India straight in the gut. Some time in the future in a village in eastern India, there are only a few women left. As a result, five brothers are married to one woman – who then take turns brutalising her every night.
This may be the figment of a Bollywood film-maker’s imagination, but activists say the film, “Matrubhoomi” is a wakeup call in a country plagued by two of the most horrific crimes against women: infanticide and female foeticide.
… “They believe why wait for nine months to eliminate a baby girl when they can do it in just eight weeks.”
Experts say the number of women dropped to 933 for every 1,000 men in 2001 from 941 in 1961, largely because of a long history of infanticide and, more recently, sex selective abortions. The ratio stood at 972 in 1901.
… The study found that the number of female births was 542 per 1,000 boys if the first child was a girl. If the first two children were girls, there were just 219 girls born for every 1,000 boys.
“Our study showed 50 percent of female foetuses are eliminated if it’s a second girl and after two girls almost three-fourths of the female foetuses are eliminated,” the association’s Joe Varghese told Reuters.
Tut, tut, tut… the sickest people in the world.