DECLINING SEX RATIO IN INDIA

Sex ratio is an important demographic indicator and gives details of the number of females per thousand males in a particular area at a given time.

In the latest census, Kerala has 1084 females per 1000 males making it the best state to have a good sex ratio. On the other hand, Haryana has 879 females per 1000 males making it the state with the lowest sex ratio.

Factors responsible for declining sex ratio:

Female infanticide – has been an age-old practice to eliminate unwanted girl children. Daughters are drowned in a basin of milk, poisoned or strangulated to death. North India has the highest rate of female infanticide as there are problems like superstition, pride in male heir, poverty, prejudice towards girl child, dowry system, etc.

Female Feticide – Killing the baby inside the womb or abortion. Technology has made it easier for parents to get rid of the ‘unwanted girl child’. It is sad that discrimination begins in the womb itself. The preference for a male child is attributed to socio-cultural-economic and religious traditions in society and this leads to increase in female foeticide.

Unsafe motherhood and unsafe abortion – Maternal mortality in India is high. Women in India die every year due to pregnancy related setbacks like frequent childbearing, improper care and low childbirth facilities. Indian women also suffer from anemia, tuberculosis, poor nutrition, inadequate and imbalanced diets due to discriminatory treatment as well as economic poverty.

Dowry and Dowry deaths – the girl child is considered ‘paraya dhan’ (other’s asset) and thus an economic burden when it comes to marriage and dowry. Post marriage harassment for higher and more dowry leads to dowry deaths.

Education – child marriages are common in India and this keeps girls away from gaining basic education. The girls are compelled to take up household responsibilities. Thus due to illiteracy their status does not improve.

Poverty – is responsible for declining sex ratio. Women and girls are deprived of nutritious food and thus are unable to live a healthy life.

Social status of women – families prefer male children over female for reasons like dowry etc. The low status given to women right from birth leads to discrimination against women from the cradle to the grave.

Lack of empowerment of women – Women are not given equal opportunities. Moreover, due to lack of education they are unable to establish roles in society.

Male domination – Patriarchal society leads to discrimination against female children. Thus sex determination and female foeticide is adopted to control female births.

Schemes to combat the problem of declining sex ratio:

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao – was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to generate awareness and improve the welfare services meant for women.

Sukanya Samriddhi Account – is a scheme by the Ministry of Finance. This initiative aims at opening an account for the girl child in a post office or public sector bank. The account can be operated by the girl post the age of 10 years.

Girl Child Protection Scheme – aims at preventing gender discrimination by protection the rights of the girl child.

Aapki Beti, Humari Beti – The Haryana Government launched this scheme where a sum of Rs.21,000/- would be deposited by the state government in the account of every newborn girl. The scheme would be implemented in rural and urban areas and targeted girl children of Scheduled Caste and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

PCPNDT Act – The Indian Governmetn passed the Pre Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) (PCPNDT) Act in 2004 to ban and punish pre-natal sex determination and female foeticide.