GENDER STUDIES
ASSIGNMENT
BY,
B.satheya narayana moorthy
I st year Bsc chemistry
CONTENT
1.Need to study the gender studies
2.Female foeticide
3.Chid marriage
NEED TO STUDY THE GENDER STUDIES
INTRODUCTION:
Gender studies is a field of interdisciplinary study which directly analyses being a gender and the concept of gender. Gender in this instance is not about being a man or a woman but rather the experience of being masculine or feminine. It examines the social and cultural construction of both masculinity and femininity and does not refer to the biological difference associated with each. Much of the study of gender is based on the assumption that femininity can only be understood in terms of how it relates to masculinity and masculinity in terms of femininity; this is then applied across a wide range of different contexts and subject areas. Due to its breadth of influence and the number of areas in which we see gender at play, the study of gender is often seen as essential when attempting to understand contemporary society
The Essay on Gender Studies And Cultural Studies
... with which children are being brainwashed at schools, prominently displayed masculinity and femininity lead to sexual violence. This is why posters concerned ... Gender Studies and Cultural Studies (1) The first picture, which we are going to analyze, ... concerned individuals, in politically correct posters, appear as having no gender affiliation whatsoever. Only a completely brainwashed person can have a ...
Contents
* History
* Origin of women studies in india
* Methodologies and curricula
* Activism
* Education
* Separatist Feminism
* Feminist theory
* Gender studies
* Reference
History
The first accredited Women’s Studies course was held in 1969 at Cornell University.[1] The first two Women’s Studies Programs in the United States were established in 1970 atSan Diego State College (now San Diego State University) and SUNY-Buffalo. The SDSU program was initiated after a year of intense organizing of women’s consciousness raising groups, rallies, petition circulating, and operating unofficial or experimental classes and presentations before seven committees and assemblies.[2][3] The first scholarly journal in interdisciplinary women’s studies, Feminist Studies, began publishing in 1972.[4] The first Ph.D. program in Women’s Studies was established at Emory University in 1990. [5]
As of 2012, there are 16 institutions offering a Ph.D. in Women’s Studies in the United States.[6][7] Courses in Women’s Studies in the United Kingdom can be found through theUniversities and Colleges Admissions Service.[8]
Origins of WS in India
Elliot (1986) states that the WS movement in the U.S. started differently than in India. In
the U.S. “there was rapid growth of higher education for women after the Second World War”
(Elliot 1986: 43).
In the 1960’s, “there were many progressive social movements . . . for equal
opportunities for women and minorities” (Elliot 1986: 43).
Further, the origins of U.S.-WS
began on “university campuses where students rebelled against education policies and the
political system in general” (ibid).
Out of these movements came women’s ‘consciousnessraising
groups’ who were self-examining their status and roles in society. This examination
extended to the traditional academic curricula which lacked women’s contributions in almost all
disciplines. This assessment was the early impetus for founding WS programs. “Faculty
members in the 1960s and 1970s drew upon a new pedagogy that was more participatory and
The Essay on Women Empowerment in India: Mission Impossible
She comes into this world beginning the journey of her life; a life that she thinks will be colourful and joyous only to stumble upon the truth, the truth that her life will be dark and unjust, and this only if she lives long enough and is not sacrificed before she can see the light on this planet, she is born fighting for her rights and dies fighting for these rights, and unfortunately we live in ...
personal, which later became known as ‘feminist pedagogy’” and led to the concept of “student
centered learning” (Berger and Radeloff, 2011:33, also see Elliot, 1986).
Institutionalized WS
became valued in higher education for some unique features, such as “the concept of integrating
research, theory, and praxis . . .” (Berger and Radeloff, 2011: 41).
Bhatty (2002: 51) says “the contemporary feminist movement in India may find its
genesis in the report on Status of Women which was published in 1975.” The Indian constitution
offered equality to women in all aspects of life; it provided the benchmarks for assessing
women’s status and condition. However, “the committee’s report, Towards Equality, presented a
grim picture of social reality . . . that sharply contrasted with the goals of equality laid down by
the Indian constitution” (Mazumdar 1994: 42; also see Bhatty 2002).
The alarming decline in sex
ratio, increase in violence against women, the rising illiteracy among women, and the lack of
political and economic participation of women were highly discouraging (Bhatty, 2002).
Patel
(1998) points out that the comprehensive report noted gender bias in academia and “. . .
highlighted that instead of changing social values and attitudes regarding women’s roles, the
educational system had contributed to strengthening and perpetuating traditional ideas of
196
Journal of International Women’s Studies Vol. 14, No. 3 July 2013
women’s subordination through the ‘curricula, the classification of subjects on the basis of sex,
and the unwritten code of conduct enforced on their pupils’” (Towards Equality, Government of
India, 1974 cited in Patel, 1998: 161).
The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) in 1976 initiated a new program
in WS with three objectives: 1) initiate policy change, 2) develop new perspectives in social
science concepts, methods and theories, and 3) renew the discourse and debate on women’s
social condition (Mazumdar, 1994).
It was against this background that the First National
Conference on WS was convened in Bombay in 1981, which ultimately culminated into the
The Essay on Social Theory 2
... further reducing the extent of gender differences. Famous French philisopher Descartes contirbuted to social theory greatly. Descartes sought to devise ... trend of sciences social studies. And it is among the so-called post-Kuhn approaches where the feminist epistemology is ... the basis of the perspective they have as women. Among these women-recovering genealogical works devoted to construct an ...
Indian Association for Women’s Studies (IAWS) – a National Forum for bringing together
academics, activists and policy makers concerned with women’s development. In the years
following, this association organized many seminars and workshops on curriculum development,
syllabus revisions and research programs (Mazumdar, 1990, 1994; John, 2005, 2008).
The
guiding principles of the committee were significant as they may be read as the manifesto of
WS-India.
Methodologies and curricula[edit]
Women’s studies faculty practice a diverse array of pedagogies. However, there are common themes to the ways that many women’s studies courses are taught; ideally, teaching and learning practices draw on feminist pedagogy. Women’s studies curricula often encourage students to participate in service-learning activities in addition to discussion and reflection upon course materials. The development of critical reading, writing, and oral expression are often key to these courses, which can be listed across curricula in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.[vague] The decentralization of the professor as the source of knowledge is often fundamental to women’s studies classroom culture.[9]Courses are often more egalitarian than those in traditional disciplines, stressing the critical analysis of texts, the development of critical writing, and the assertion of well-reasoned personal experience as a source of knowledge. Not dissimilar to gender studies, women’s studies employs feminist, queer, and critical theories.[citation needed] Since the 1970s, scholars of women’s studies have taken post-modern approaches to understanding gender as it intersects with race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, age, and (dis)ability to produce and maintain power structures within society. With this turn, there has been a focus on language, subjectivity, and social hegemony, and how the lives of subjects, however they identify, are constituted. At the core of these theories is the notion that however one identifies, gender, sex, and sexuality are not intrinsic, but are socially constructed.[citation needed]
Women studies programs are involved in social justice and design curricula that are embedded with theory and also activism outside of the classroom. Some Women Studies programs offer internships that are community-based allowing students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of how oppression directly affects women’s lives. This experience, informed by theory from feminist studies, queer theory, black feminist theory, African studies, and many other theoretical frameworks, allows students the opportunity to critically analyze experience as well as create creative solutions for issues on a local level.[citation needed] However, Daphne Patai, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has criticized this aspect of women’s studies programs, arguing that they place politics over education, arguing that “the strategies of faculty members in these programs have included policing insensitive language, championing research methods deemed congenial to women (such as qualitative over quantitative methods), and conducting classes as if they were therapy sessions.”[10] It is important to note, however, that many Women’s Studies curricula engage with a variety of different epistemological and methodological practices.[vague]Feminist scholarship is diverse and utilizes positivism, critical realism, and standpoint theory in its interdisciplinary scholarship.[11][vague]
The Term Paper on History Of Feminism And Feminist Theory
... a political movement it failed to unite ALL women. Instead Feminism and feminist theory become predominantly associated with a small specific group ... formal and informal organisations dedicated to the implementation of gender equality began to emerge during the 1960 s. ... led to the formation of women s studies department, and academic journals devoted to feminism and women s studies.21 Therefore with ...
Activism[edit]
Feminist activism not only focuses on women’s issues but has spread throughout many other movements including (but not limited to) environmental issues, body politics, feminist art,identity issues, reproductive rights, gender issues, animal rights, homosexual rights, and ethnic minority rights. These forms of activism can include letter writing, boycotting, protesting, the visual arts, bodily demonstrations, education, and leafleting. In current feminism, the focus has shifted to encompass an outlook and desire for equality for all—identifying oppressive systems and forces around the world that affect all types of beings. Feminist activism explores the intersections of social, political, and cultural histories (among various others denominators), their implications, and dedicates time and energy to the liberation of all people from injustices.[citation needed][vague]
Simply studying or being a student of women’s studies can be seen as activism in it of itself; others consider women’s studies to be an academic field which is separate from the feminist movement.
The Dissertation on Gender Studies
... sex-atypical jobs: A study of female male differences. Journal of organizational-Behavior, 12, 461-465.23. Prichard, S. H. (1993). Feminist thinking and librarianship ... Women in contemporary India and South Asia. New Delhi, Manohar, p. 129).39. Liddle J. & Joshi, R. (1989). Daughters of Independence: Gender, ...
Education[edit]
Many women’s studies courses are designed to explore the intersectionality of gender and other topics. For example, in gender and science research, the sciences are explored and critiqued through feminism, as when Anne Fausto-Sterling, Professor of Biology at Brown University, explores biology through the feminist lens. Through her research, she has published many books on the topic including Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality in 2000 and The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female Are Not Enough.
Separatist feminism
Separatist feminism is a form of radical feminism that holds that opposition to patriarchy is best done through focusing exclusively on women and girls.[1] Some separatist feminists do not believe that men can make positive contributions to the feminist movement and that even well-intentioned men replicate the dynamics of patriarchy.[2]
Author Marilyn Frye describes separatist feminism as “separation of various sorts or modes from men and from institutions, relationships, roles and activities that are male-defined, male-dominated, and operating for the benefit of males and the maintenance of male privilege—this separation being initiated or maintained, at will, by women”.[3]
In a tract on socialist feminism published in 1972, the Hyde Park Chapter of the Chicago Women’s Liberation Union differentiated between Separatism as an “ideological position”, and as a “tactical position”.[4] In the same document, they further distinguished between separatism as “personal practice” and as “political position”.[4]
Feminist theory
Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical or philosophical discourse. It aims to understand the nature of gender inequality. It examines women’s social roles, experience, interests, and feminist politics in a variety of fields, such as anthropology and sociology, communication, psychoanalysis,[1] economics, literature, education, and philosophy.[2]
Feminist theory focuses on analyzing gender inequality. Themes explored in feminism include discrimination, objectification (especially sexual objectification), oppression, patriarchy,[3][4] stereotyping, art history[5] and contemporary art,[6][7] and aesthetics.[8][9]
The Essay on Penalties for success: Reactions to women who succeed at male gender-typed tasks
Women are subjected to gender-biased evaluations with their performance on male gender-typed tasks often devalued and their competence denied. This result from the inconsistency between stereotypic perceptions of what women is like and the qualities thought necessary to perform a typically male job. The main idea of this article is to demonstrate this phenomenon, to provide insight into why and ...
Gender studies
Gender studies is a field of interdisciplinary study and academic field devoted to gender identity and gendered representation as central categories of analysis. This field includes women’s studies (concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics), men’s studies, and LGBT studies.[1] Sometimes, gender studies is offered together with study of sexuality. These disciplines study gender and sexuality in the fields of literature, language, history, political science, sociology, anthropology, cinema, media studies, human development, law, and medicine.[2] It also analyzes race, ethnicity, location, nationality, and disability.[3][4]
Gender study has many different forms. One view espoused by the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said: “One is not born a woman, one becomes one”.[5] This view proposes that in gender studies, the term “gender” should be used to refer to the social and cultural constructions of masculinities and femininities, not to the state of being male or female in its entirety.[6] However, this view is not held by all gender theorists. Other areas[which?] of gender study closely examine the role that the biological states of being male or female (anatomical, physiological, and genetical explanations of male and female body parts, structure and nature of functions of body organs, genetic carriers etc.) have on social constructs of gender. Specifically, in what way gender roles are defined by biology and how they are defined by cultural trends. The field emerged from a number of different areas: the sociology of the 1950s and later (see Sociology of gender); the theories of the psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan; and the work of feminists such as Judith Butler.
Gender is an important area of study in many disciplines, such as literary theory, drama studies, film theory, performance theory, contemporary art history, anthropology, sociology, sociolinguistics and psychology. These disciplines sometimes differ in their approaches to how and why they study gender. For instance in anthropology, sociology and psychology, gender is often studied as a practice, whereas in cultural studies representations of gender are more often examined. In politics, gender can be viewed as a foundational discourse that political actors employ in order to position themselves on a variety of issues.[7] Gender studies is also a discipline in itself: an interdisciplinary area of study that incorporates methods and approaches from a wide range of disciplines.[8]
Each field came to regard “gender” as a practice, sometimes referred to as something that is performative.[9] Feminist theory of psychoanalysis, articulated mainly by Julia Kristeva[10] (the “semiotic” and “abjection”) and Bracha Ettinger[11] (the feminine-prematernal-maternal matrixial Eros of borderlinking and com-passion,[12] “matrixial trans-subjectivity” and the “primal mother-phantasies”),[13] and informed both by Freud, Lacan and the object relations theory, is very influential in gender studies
References[edit]
* Borland, K. (1991).
That’s not what I said: Interpretive conflict in oral narrative research. In Giuck, S. & Patai, D. (Eds.), Women’s Words: The Feminist Practice of Oral History (pp 63–76).
NY: Routledge
* Brooks, A. (2007).
Feminist standpoint epistemology: Building knowledge and empowerment through women’s lived experiences. In Hesse-Biber, S.N. & Leavy, P.L. (Eds.), Feminist Research Practice (pp. 53–82).
CA: Sage Publications.
* Brooks, A. & Hesse-Biber, S.N. (2007).
An invitation to feminist research. In Hesse-Biber, S.N. & Leavy, P.L. (Eds.), Feminist Research Practice (pp. 1–24).
CA: Sage Publications.
FEMALE FOETICIDE-Death before birth
Abstract
Female foeticide has become a social hazard of international significance in the era of ultrasound
technology and capitalist modernity. This paper tries to focus on the rationale behind the foeticide, and the
consequences of this phenomenon on the Indian society. Finally, this paper will review to the measures taken to
combat this heinous phenomenon for a balanced society.
Introduction
Foeticide or feticide is an act that causes the death of a fetus. In a legal context, it
refers to the deliberate or incidental killing of a fetus due to a criminal human act, such as a blow
to the abdomen of a pregnant woman. As a medical term, feticide is destruction of a fetus, for
example as the first phase of a legal induced abortion. The latter in some
specific situations is inevitable and legal especially in the incipient phase of pregnancy, it is long
debated. But the sex selective abortion is not at all supportable. ‘Historically, in the absence of
genetic testing, infanticide was the only inhumane option for discarding the female child. This
heinous practice continues today in the southern parts of India where families cannot afford an
illegal ultrasound test. People in Punjab, Haryana and other Western states can afford illegal test to
determine the sex of the baby and discard it’
What is female feticide?
Female feticide is the selective abortion/elimination of the girl child in the womb itself, done deliberately by the mother, after the detection of the child’s gender through medical means. This is usually done under familial pressure from the husband or the in-laws or even the woman’s parents. Unplanned pregnancy is generally the reason behind abortion. However, female feticide is a far more heinous sin than the age old practice of killing an unwanted child, even before it’s born.
Like many societies around the world, India too is patriarchal in nature. A set hierarchical system prevails in all tiers of the social order. The fanatic obsession with the male sex, though, is one of a kind. Right from the ancient scriptures, one finds instances where men are glowingly praised as the key to continue the family lineage. A girl is forced to undergo multiple pregnancies and (or) abortions, until she fulfills her lifelong goal of being a breeding machine that produces male offspring as per the needs of the family.
Sadly, a majority of female feticide cases involve an enthusiastic participation of women, both old and young.
“To add fuel to the fire, unethical sex determination and selective abortion of female infants has become a booming US $224 million industry- a dangerous incentive for this transgression to prosper further in the near future”
Why female feticide?
Every unethical act, like this one, has some age-old lame reasoning behind it, which is used as genuine justification by its staunch supporters. The root cause for female feticide lies within the cultural norms as well as the socio-economic policies of the country where this practice prevails. The most infected (I use the verb, for it precisely depicts the malady that has affected our world) are the South Asian countries like China, India, Vietnam, Korea etc. from where this social evil has mushroomed today to the western nations like the USA and Canada. This is the end result of immigration that has brought along female feticide across the pond. What is the rationale, one may wonder. Surprisingly, the reasons aren’t quite as diverse for these nations as one may perceive.
Female foeticide in india
Pursue this fragment of an otherwise innocent conversation
Doctor (female): It’s a little late. Besides, IT has grown too large in size to eliminate.
Woman: Does that mean you can’t do anything to get rid of IT?
Doctor: Hmm, maybe a timely pill or an injection can still kill IT. The money charged will increase, of course.
Woman: That’s hardly a matter of concern. I just want IT done with. (Pause)What will we do with the body though?
Doctor: Do I need to spell it out to you? (Chuckles) There’s a graveyard close by. Bury IT there. Or maybe you could pack IT in a plastic bag and toss IT into the river nearby. Nobody will know.
Woman: Sounds like a feasible plan. Thank you.
If you were wondering about the annoying repetition of the pronoun ‘it’, be ready to understand that the thing being so dispassionately discussed is the woman’s unborn girl child. Yes, this is the talk between an aspiring parent and her gynecologist.
Preference for the male child: Elimination/removal of girls from the family tree even before they are born clearly indicates the vehement desire for a boy child. In the countries where female feticide has become unbridled, the core factor is the need to continue the family line through the male born into it. Sons are seen as the main source of income. Even though women today can easily rub shoulders with men, almost in every field they set their mind to, the common misconception still remains that it is the male who will help run the house, and look after his parents. Once married, women are like cargo, ready to be shipped off to another household, while parents breathe a sigh of relief for a job well done in getting their ‘daughter’ settled.
In India, the age old custom of dowry system puts a damper on the parents’ spirits who are ‘blessed’ with a girl child. Right then and there, begin the calculations associated with marriage expenses, which may happen after a couple of decades, following the child’s first breath. A lump sum paid to the daughter in twenty years when the currency value may depreciate and inflation may skyrocket is seen as a tragedy waiting to happen. It would be so much better to get rid of them with just a fraction of the amount.
Ø Deteriorated Status of Women: I’m not a rabid feminist who would shout herself hoarse about the domination of men in any society. Sure, males are the stronger sex when it comes to the pecking order in a country, but that does not entail a curbing of rights for women. Rather than whining about the denied opportunities, women should stand up and try to grasp the chances they want for themselves.
However, this Utopian scenario is not quite easily achieved in practice. Centuries of repression has made inferiority second nature to most women. They willingly embrace the role of the meek, submissive, docile wife who works relentlessly to cater to the whims of her husband. The worst enemy of a woman is the woman herself. Female feticide happens with the explicit consent of the mother. While most mothers-to be agree to this misdeed out of a sense of duty to the family, there are many who take the initiative themselves.
Ø Foul Medical Ethics: The opening conversation to this hub satisfactorily covers this point. With the legalization of abortion in India, illegal sex determination and termination of pregnancies has become an everyday reality. The professionals in the medical field are only too glad to help parents realize their dream of a healthy baby boy. Female feticide is openly discussed amongst many in the healing fraternity and even pin boards outside certain clinics read, ‘Pay Rs.500 ($ 10) today to save the expense of Rs. 500 000 ($ 10 000) in the future’. The initial meager sum is the cost of a pregnancy termination, while the bigger amount specified in comparison, is the expense that the family will be burdened with in the form of dowry for the girl.
Ø Industrial Growth: Industrialization of the health sector has further strengthened the selective sex abortion quarter. With the advent of CVS, amniocentesis andUltrasound, sex determination of the fetus has become much easier than it was earlier. This goes on to show how the manufacturers of high-tech equipments and gadgets, used to run these tests, benefit from the woes of future parents and their unborn child. Many hospitals are known to sign long term contracts with the firms involved in the production of these types of medical machinery. Often, a healthy percentage of the profit is shared with the hospital and both parties enjoy the fruits of rewarding a death sentence.
As opposed to CVS and amniocentesis, the ultrasound technology is cheaper and within easy reach of the lower economically backward strata of society. It is also easily accessible in a hospital/clinic nearby with mediocre credentials.
Unfortunately, the probability of accuracy of the ultrasound is not always 100 per cent until the fetus is twenty weeks old. Consequently, the child aborted by those enthusiastic parents may just be the little prince they were hoping for.
Long Term Consequences
As Newton’s Third Law of Motion states, ‘For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction’, the after effects of this genocide are fatal and far-reaching. Blinded by the need for an assertive gender to rule the house after the parents’ demise, the majority are often ignorant of the disaster they unwittingly invite by indulging in female feticide.
Factors Leading To Female Foeticide
In India female Foeticide is taking place for various factors viz. economic, socioritual,
and technological.
A) Economic Factors: the female Foeticide in the 21st century have a great deal to do with
capitalist modernity. There are aspects of it lying behind these phenomena.
i) For rural households with landed property there is a clear inverse correlation between the
income level and child sex ratio. It is especially evident in south India. Again there is gender
based wage level. For the same work females are paid less remuneration. In most cases
women enter in the domestic non-paid services which a patriarchal society gives little or no
value at all, so they are regarded as liability than assets.
ii) Cultural politics of dowry in the Indian society have a lot of answer for this pernicious
phenomenon. Since the turn of century the recorded dowry deaths are increasing. Nearly 7-
8000 per year brides are murdered for the lack of full payment of dowry. Nearly 3-5000 brides
are committing suicides for dowry. Brides are thought as commodities and the pre marriage
and marriage have been described as ‘consumption oriented reproductive journey’. When the
reproductive practices make daughters into such economic burden, the threat of having to
amass dowry is motive enough to dispose female commodities (Barbara Harriss-White, 2009)
iii) The female foeticide has been commodified. It has started to become a field of accumulation
in its own right. Malini Bhattachgarya, the member of the national commission for women,
admitted that in the era of liberalisation “one has to allow freedom of choice to the service seeker and the freedom to sell by the service provider”. Foeticide may cost one or two
month’s earnings, while dowry requires mobilisation of several years’ income. Hence there
appears equilibrium between service seeker and provider. UNICEF estimates that the turnover
of foeticide industry has now reached 244 million dollar from 77 million dollar in 2006.
(Barbara Harriss-White, 2009).
Those who disapproved of the practice of sex selective
abortions but engaged in it against their principles expressed their compulsions and
helplessness due to pressures arising out of unhealthy competition in the health care service
sector. It was said that if they did not provide abortion care services, some others would have
provided them (Tandon and Sharma, 2008)
For these economic reasons females are not desired. Here we can quote an old folk
song relevant in this context.
‘Oh, God, I beg of you,
I touch your feet time and again,
Next birth don’t give me a daughter,
Give me Hell instead…’–An old Folk Song from Uttar Pradesh
b) Socio-ritual factors: females are vulnerable to brutalities of the male in the forms of physical,
mental and sexual assaults and traumas in the patriarchal societal structure of India. Females
are subjugated, condemned, and deprived in sphere of life. Every parents of a girl child is at
risk for their daughter in this patriarchal society for the mentioned causes. Again for the
funeral ceremonies of the parents, presence of a son is a must. According to Manu, A man
cannot attain moksha (redemption) unless he has a son to light his funeral pyre. In old age the
sons will care for them believably. These socio-rituals factors including illiteracy and
orthodox society norms lead to crave for a male baby, discarding the females one after
another.
c) Technological factors: Female foeticide is a latest trend of long established gender bias. We
are civilized with time and our killing female babes have also been civilized. The presence of
low-cost technologies like ultrasound, have led to sex-based abortion of female fetuses, and an
increasingly smaller percentage of girls born each year (Jain, 2005)
d) Population Policy: Indian family planning policies promote a two-child family and health
workers say this often leads to abortion of female foetuses in efforts to have a “complete
family” with at least one son. (Sen, 2005)
PATTERN OF FEMALE FOETICIDE ACROSS THE STATES
Female foeticides are common in all states of India irrespective of caste, class,
religion, or north south divide. About 5-7 lakh girls a year or 2000 girls a day go missing in India
due to female foeticide. Last year’s appalling census figures rated Maharastra as having the worst child sex ratio amongst other Indian States (801 females per 1000 males), blaming mainly the practice of female infanticide and female infoeticide as the cause for this declining trend. Census, 2011 has pegged the population of India at 1.21 billion(up 17.4% from 2001) and has indicated that only 914.23 girls were born for every 1,000 boys in the age group 0-6 years, compared with 927.31 for every 1,000 boys in the 2001 Census. An improvement in the child sex ratio has been noted only in the state of Kerala and the two Union Territories of Lakshwadeep and Pondicherry. Overall in the rest of India there is a decrease in the number of girls, with Maharastra scoring the least. Other offenders high on this list are Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Chandigarh and Gujarat.
This is the worst child sex ratio in the history of our country since independence. This steep decline can be linked to the ever growing preference for a male child. The selection is done through either sex selective abortions or female infanticides.
THE IMPACTS OF FEMALE FOTICIDES
The immediate impacts of female foeticides the unbalanced sex ratio, The decline in child sex ratio in India is evident by comparing the census figures. In 1991, the figure was 947 girls to 1000 boys. Ten years later it had fallen to 927 girls for 1000 boys.Since 1991, 80% of districts in India have recorded a declining sex ratio with the state of Punjab being the worst.
Here is the table that shows some states which have the worst female sex ratios
Current population in india by detail
The sex ratios of some countries are listed below:
Vietnam: 892/1000
South Korea (sex ratio at birth): 934/1000
USA: 962/1000
Canada: 943/1000
UK: 952/1000
Sri Lanka: 961/1000
Recent news about female foeticide in india
Friday, August 15, 2014 – 08:57
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday drew attention to the dismal sex ratio in the country, and appealed to Indians to stop female foeticide.
“Have we seen our sex ratio? Who is creating this imbalance in society? Not Almighty! I appeal to doctors not to kill the girl child,” he said addressing the nation on its 68th Independence day.
He said: “I appeal to parents not to sacrifice the girl child.”
The Prime Minister said he knew of families which had five sons and big houses but sent away their aged parents to old age home.
“At the same time, I have seen families with only one daughter who has not married to take care of her parents,” he said.
Jul 21, 2014, 01.54 AM
PATNA: CM Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday claimed the rich families were encouraging female foeticide. Poor are God-fearing and believe children are gifts of God, said Manjhi while speaking at a political conclave on ‘No children born to die’.
The CM said those influenced by the western civilization were responsible for female foeticide. Illiterate people were more conscious about saving children.
17th August 2014 12:58 PM
NEW DELHI: As newlyweds Tarun and Swati got their marriage registered, they took another vow to complement the ones that solemnised their union, one which made them promise that they “shall not indulge in female foeticide”.
In a significant initiative, Delhi government is asking all newlyweds to take an oath that they will not indulge in female foeticide and will take care of the girl child just like they would of the boys.
The initiative by Revenue Department which kick-started on August 9 has so far had four newlyweds taking the pledge.
“We have started administering the oath to the newlyweds who visit the additional district magistrates’ offices to register their marriage after tying the knot.
“The idea is to create awareness against female foeticide and encourage people to not opt for sonography to find out the sex of their children as that is illegal,” said Som Naidu, ADM, Revenue Department.
But the official said that taking the pledge is not compulsory to get the marriage registered.
“Couples do it voluntarily. We just request them to take the oath. We give them the handout and each of them reads it (the oath) aloud to take the vow,” he said.
Aug 29, 2014, 09.57AM
Harshed Patels march to temple for vow against female foeticide
Palanpur: With an aim to sensitize the community and remove prejudices against the girl child, around 350 members of Becharaji based Bechar Samstha Patidar Pragati Yuvak Mandal (BSPPYM) undertook a holy march to Umiya Mataji temple in Unjha on Thursday. Members of both Leuva and Kadva Patel communities are participating in the initiative.
“We will take pledge in presence of the goddess to shun female foeticide on reaching Unjha on Friday after covering a distance of 70km,” said BSPPYM president Harshad Patel. He said the holy march is being carried out every year on the last eight occasions.
REVIEW OF THE MEASURE TAKEN TO COMBAT FEMALE FOETICIDES: in the
modern period of Indian history, there has a no. of measures taken to combat the female
infanticides recently foeticides either as an institutional measures or as an individual initiatives.
A) Institutional measures:
1) PNDT (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act-1994: Maharashtra is the first state in
country to ban pre-natal sex determination through the enactment of Maharashtra regulation of
prenatal diagnostics techniques act. Similar efforts at the national level resulted in the
enactment of the Central pre-natal diagnostic techniques (Regulation and prevention of
misuse) Act 1994.The act has two aspects viz., regulatory and preventive. It seeks to regulate
the use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques for legal or medical purposes and prevent misuse for
illegal purposes. The act provides for the setting up of various bodies along with their
composition powers and functions. There is a central supervisory board, appropriate
authorities and advisory committees. Violations of the PNDT Act carry a five year jail term
and a fine of about 2,300 U.S. dollars.
2) The Supreme Court of India has issued notices to the Indian government and the states and
union territories on a petition seeking stricter implementation of laws that ban pre-natal sexselection
tests and sex-selective abortions in India. A concerned Supreme Court observed that
the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act
1994 (PCPNDT) that is meant to prevent female foeticide in India, has failed. The petition
brought to the court’s attention the rampant practice of sex-selective abortions in many parts
of the country, with doctors indiscriminately conducting sex-determination tests and carrying
out abortions because of lax implementation of the PCPNDT Act.
3) UNICEF is committed to protecting every child from violence, exploitation, abuse and
discrimination.
4) The government would declare January 24, 2010 as the national girl child day with a focus
on targeting the scourges of female foeticide, domestic violence and malnutrition. B) Individual and group appeals and initiatives: In modern India, there have always been the
protests against female infanticides by various national leaders like Vidyasagar, Raja Ram
Mohan Roy, and Mahatma Gandhi a few names to mention. In the very recent decades, many
persons from different walks of life have protested against the female foeticides.
1) Describing female foeticide as a “disgrace” to society Mrs.Pratibha Patil India’s first women
President has called upon the medical fraternity to ensure that diagnostic tests are not misused
for pre-natal gender determination.
2) Mrs.Meira Kumar first women Lok Sabha Speaker said, “Women have great power hidden
within them. Even the Mahatma believed in this and decided to involve them in the freedom
struggle…But today we live in a country where rampant female foeticide and female
infanticide take place. The condition of women in our country needs attention,
3) Raveena Tandon, an actress who has been associated with numerous NGOs and social
activities was in the Pink City recently to promote a campaign aimed at saving the girl child.
4) Hindu religious leaders have decided to launch a crusade against female foeticide in Mathura.
Eminent politicians of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, social workers and poets are expected
to attend the inaugural function scheduled for tomorrow at the Vatsalya Gram Vrindavan here,
Sadhvi Ritambhara, the chief architect of the crusade. “Female foeticide is a crime and it has
nothing to do with the Hindu religion. The crusade against it would start on December 16,
2008 with the congregation of saints, Shankaracharyas and social workers. Eminent
politicians have also been invited for the occasion,” Ritambhara said. She claimed consents of
eminent sadhus have been taken for the programmes which will be conducted as part of the
crusade. “Since female foeticide adversely affects the psyche of the woman on whom the
abortion is conducted, the sooner the evil is buried, the better it would be,” she added.
Conclusion
The ineffective implementation of the legislation is evident in India’s skewed gender
ratio. If it is possible to stop abortion and foeticide of female by legal enforcements on the demand
and supply sides, female infants will see the light and breathe the air of the earth. Even if there is
no direct female infanticides, indirect infanticides must occur until and unless our conceptionsregarding various economic, social, and ritual reasons about the girls are changed. Guru Nanak
asserted that women were not at all inferior to men:
“From the woman is our birth, in the woman’s womb are we shaped;
To the woman we are engaged, to the woman we are wedded;
The woman is our friend and from the woman is the family;
If one woman dies, we seek another, through the woman are the bonds of the world;
Why call woman evil who gives birth to kings?
From the woman comes the woman, without woman there is none;
O Nanak, God alone is the one Who is independent of the woman (because He is unborn).”
(Var Asa Mohalla 1, 2-19, p-473) (Reproduced from Sikhism Philosophy Network)