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Even in the 21st century, women are considered as second-class citizens in India. The discrimination starts before the birth of the girl through pre-natal diagnostic tests, reports Rabia Rahat
When the history of a nation is written, special focus is given to fundamental rights and place of women in that society. The country’s image is determined by looking at how they treat their women. Today women are seen progressing in every field. Still, a number of countries treat their women as second-class citizens. Even though the law defines them as equal citizens, in practice the ground reality is quite the opposite. Women are considered as a burden on the family. It is common knowledge that the birth of girls is not welcomed as that of boys. There are several sayings that explain the position of women. For instance, ‘Raising a girl is like watering the neighbour’s garden.’
Unfortunately, sex discrimination starts even before the birth of the girl through female infanticide or feticide. It is such a frequent practice in India that it has troubled the Indian government and has made them devise laws to stop sex determination which in turn might help in controlling gender-specific abortion. Regrettably, this has not been the case. Commonly female feticide is referred to as the ‘unborn girls’. Usually such discrimination is based on socio-economic and religious factors. The majority of Indians are Hindus and, according to their religion, only male children can perform the last rites of dead family members. Furthermore, a woman has to be reborn as a man to attain redemption. A girl child, with her birth, brings the burden of dowry. It is a common notion in India that the family has to spend money to feed girls, protect them, educate them and then marry them. On the other hand, boys are looked upon as an insurance policy, someone who will look after the family. The society pressurizes people to think that it is better to spend a few thousand rupees before birth then to spend a hundred thousand later on dowry. The pre-natal diagnostic tests that are used to determine the gender of the fetus are ultrasound, amniocentesis and chronic villi biopsy (CVB). Usually this technology is used to detect any abnormalities in the fetus. Almost a decade ago the Indian government passed a law banning all sex determination practices as it was widely leading to sex selective abortion. The law, however permits ultrasound clinics and allows abortion. The government’s attempt to ban the sex determination practice led to the commercialization of this technology. In short, technology here was used negatively. Ultrasound is available cheaply and without difficulty, which helps in sex determination and the women then abort their fetuses without any restraints as abortion is legal in India. The overall female ratio is always more than the males regardless of the geographical condition. If it is the other way round, then unambiguously it is an artificially engineered change. The extent of the dilemma is apparent in the national consensus of India. There is a serious drop in the sex ratio of girl population i.e. 962 girls per 1000 boys in 1981 and 921 girls per 1000 boys in 2001. Sub-committee of the Federation of Obstetricians’ and Gynaecologists Societies of India conducted a study of 8000 cases out of which 7999 aborted when they found out that it was a female fetus. Recently, UNICEF at the India launch of its "State of the World’s Children 2007" report said that out of 71,000 children born each day in India only 31,000 are girls which gives a sex ratio of 882 girls to 1,000 boys. The government itself termed it an alarming fact which is increasing the gender gap. Earlier with widespread illiteracy it was expected that this practice of female feticide will gradually diminish with the spread of education. Instead the opposite seems to be occurring. According to the United Nations, female feticide is most predominant among the highly educated and wealthy families in India. Now, with the availability of modern technology, the problem of feticide has become more acute. The consequences of female feticide are many and frightening. Already they have started to show up as girls are being trafficked from one state to another and then sold into marriages without their consent for as low as Rs. 6000 i.e. even the animals are more expensive to buy. Acco-rding to a BBC report, in some states men (of marriageable ages) are having a hard time finding brides for them which points to a severe decline in the female birth ratio. The concept that a girl is bad is engraved on the psyche of the people. To stop this practice of feticide, laws are not enough and a change of attitude is required. A lot goes around us in the world, that we do not approve and believe but it does not mean it is not taking place. The people who condemn the patriarchal structure prevalent in society are also the ones who support it when they go forward to practice this malevolence of female feticide and the demand of dowry (by the in-laws). The solution only lies in educating the masses against dowries and undertake extensive media campaigns which should target the younger generation in order to groom them. There is also a need to empower the girls by educating them and then giving them economic independence. Action must also be taken against doctors who are getting monetary gains from this law. Stringent measures should also be taken against the families who try to determine the sex of their baby and then go for gender selective abortion. 
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