For women, India is ranked as the fourth most unsafe nation in the world. This danger manifests itself in various ways, including the discriminatory practice of prenatal sex selection. This practice is widespread in India, where many female fetuses are aborted based on gender. Prenatal sex selection has become a prevalent occurrence in India and is reflected in the unequal national child sex ratio. It is estimated that as of 2011, prenatal sex selection has led to 7.1 million ‘missing girls.’
Though it is illegal in India for clinics to provide a prenatal sex determination test, the practice continues with little interference from authorities. Women’s rights NGOs have led efforts to change the common belief in Indian society that boys are more valuable to a family than girls. These NGOs hope that a healthier view of the girl child will allow the gender gap to be bridged.
Compiled from: IPS, ‘Missing Girls is About Femicide’ (19 September 2011).