Skewed sex ratio a big concern

The recent news about the use of genitoplasty, to convert the sex of a female child by using hormonal drugs, has created uproar among the activists working on the Right to Life of a girl child. Following it, the social activists are now in evolving a multi-pronged approach to deal with the invasion of new technologies to cater to the demands for a son.

Girl babies are being forced into sex change operations in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, by parents frantic for a son. With newer technologies for elimination of a girl child entering the market, it is becoming very difficult to deal with the issue. Vijay Laxmi Nanda, coordinator of the Camping Against Pre-birth Elimination of Females, points out, “Disposability and dispensability of daughters is linked to commercialisation”.

Nanda says that the market for sex selection is flooded with different ways and means. “It is becoming difficult to keep pace with the commercialisation of the whole process and the new technologies being developed to cater to the fetish for a son”.

The recent census has shown that the number of girls per 1000 boys in the age group of 0-6 years has declined to 914 from 927 in 2001. This new number has undermined all the steps taken in the previous decade to save the girl child. “The need at the moment is to implement the PCPNDT act with full force. We have a strong law in place but the apathetic view of administration in its implementation is the real problem. We have to focus on getting the law implemented,” said Akhila Sivadas, Executive Director, Centre for Advocacy Research (CFAR).

While the social activists continue to emphasize upon the society that it is time to change the outlook towards this problem as just traditional and cultural, there are other problems associated with the issue too. Gynecologist Dr Neelam Singh, a crusader for the Right to Life of a girl child expresses the problem of her own fraternity. “It is difficult to fight the all powerful doctors lobby. The doctors are more organized and they enjoy a political clout. Time has come to seriously look at the sensitisation of this community so that such illegal acts are prevented”.

Asha, a legal activist who works in Moren, Madhya Pradesh, says that with increasing commercialisation the money involved in the business of sex determination and selective abortions has increased many time. Asha says, “The mandi (business) of sonography clinics in growing. In just last three months more than 100 such sonography centres have come up in our area. This is proof enough that such ventures are profitable and the business is growing”.

The illegality attached to sex determination tests during pregnancy, followed by selective abortions of female fetuses, has resulted in the increased prices. Even though Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, calls the falling sex ratio a ‘national shame’, all activists agree that till there is a strong political will to prioritise the issue nothing much can be achieved on the ground.