An article in BBC News confirms the suspicion that sex-selective abortion in India continues despite the 1994 ban on  sex-selective abortion. As the number of girls in India continues to decline (an estimated 914 girls for ever 1,000 boys) it is interesting to look back at what was said about the issue in the past.

The trend towards female feticide came to light in the 2000 census. Since then, political efforts have continually failed to prevent the continued decline of the female population in India. In 2011 Ranjana Kumari, the head of the Center for Social Research said, “I think the more women become aware of their rights, the more they become stronger in terms of economic rights, political rights.” After that, she said, women “will not go for such abortions, because to save the women species, women have to come forward.”  That was a year ago. And we know as well now as we did then that progressive ideas about women’s rights, those which include pro-choice attitudes, coexist with real economic and political rights in the Western world. We also know that women here in the United States and in Europe practice sex selective abortions as well.

No doubt there are contributing factors such as poverty, social stigma and cultural practices which contribute to sex-selective abortions in India. However as the dire effects of this practice upon families and entire societies becomes apparent in many other parts of the world, we can only hope more people will recognize the grave wrong of abortion, population control, and the world-views which drive them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18867287

http://www.nationalpartnership.org/site/News2?abbr=daily2_&page=NewsArticle&id=28353

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