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With persistent inequalities in India, the girl child is at already at disadvantage and faces strong discrimination at every stage of her life in little or no access to education, lack of health care and nutrition and child marriage. In a shocking (?) revelation about the increasing intolerance of ‘modern’, ‘educated’ Indian society, a research article published this week in ‘The Lancet’ has shattered the claims of Indian governments—both central and states –in stopping the girl child killings every day and night in well-developed Indian habitats. This study, supported by India`s 2011 census preliminary results, reveal a growing imbalance between number of girls and boys aged 0-6 years due to increased parental sex determination with subsequent selective abortion. The international team of nine health experts lead by Prabhat Jha assessed sex ratios by birth order in 0.25 million births in three rounds of the nationally representative National Family Health Survey covering the period from 1990 to 2005.
The life of the girl child reflects strong elements of discrimination at various stages. Prejudice against daughters stems from the perception of girl child as a liability. Devil is apparently frightening us before we enter into details. But we have to face this grim nature of facts before we prepare ourselves to fight this challenge root of which firmly and deeply lying in social/cultural prejudice and convictions about the women as a whole in our everyday lives. The 2011 Indian census revealed about 7.1 million fewer girls than boys aged 0-6 years, a notable increase in the gap of 6.0 million fewer girls recorded in the 2001 census and the gap of 4.2 million fewer girls in the 1991 census. In effect, more girls than boys die at ages 1-59 months, but this is mostly offset by more boys than girls dying in the first month of life. In contrast, in most high-income countries, only slightly more boys than girls are born, with recorded sex ratios at birth of 950-975 girls per 1000 boys.
Significance of this study lies in the fact that this is first one to assess the trends over time in selective abortion of girls in India at the national level with nationally representative data. Research compared the sex ratios of second-order births after firstborn girls with the second-order sex ratio after firstborn boys. Findings note a sharp decline in the girl-to-boy sex ratio for second-order births when the firstborn was a girl. These declines are greater in educated and richer households than in illiterate and poorer households. The total of about 4-12 million selective abortions of girls happened during the period from 1980 to 2010. The data also suggests that selective abortion has spread from a handful of states to most parts of the country. Thus, most of India`s population now live in states where selective abortion of girls is common. The exact contribution of selective abortion of girls to the measured sex imbalance at ages 0-6 years in the censuses also depends upon child mortality rates. However, the uniqueness of this study lies in exposing that it is only in recent years did slightly more girls die compared with the boys.
A UNFPA study (2010) points out that even after legislations such as the ‘Pre-conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act of 1994’ (PCPNDT Act) and many campaigns to promote the value of girl child, the situation has barely improved. Both central and states have launched many programs and policies which aims at empowering girl child so that they can avail equal freedom and opportunity. All the policies target the poor families which de facto face poverty as a major constraint that prevents raising and educating girl children. But findings published in Lancet provoke us to shift the focus of policy, programs and schemes in completely reverse manner. It is to be emphasized here that for example poor regions, tribal regions of the country are far ahead as far as protecting the girl child to enhance the child sex ration than compared to so called educated, developed and rich class. We can easily make out that availability and access of cheap technology is making the monster out of this ‘modern life style.’
During the last decade, there has been a substantial decline in the sex-ratio at birth (SRB) as well as child sex ratio (CSR). The 2001 census data and the different rounds of sample registration surveys show that the problem is acute in the economically progressive states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Gujarat. Examination of child sex ratio at the district level indicated that in 1991, not a single district in India recorded a CSR less than 800. However, in 2001 census 14 districts came under this category. Likewise, there were no districts having CSR in the range of 800-849 in 1991, however 31 districts recorded this range in 2001. Triggering a sense of crisis, many states were forced to swing into action on the premise that financial incentives would trigger behavioral changes among communities, more specifically among newly weds and young parents to value a girl child. The effect of all the schemes was basically intended to improve Sex Ratio at Birth and Child Sex Ratio, increased school enrolment and attendance in primary, middle and high schools, and an enhanced age of marriage.
What the performance of all the schemes launched recently tells us about the effectiveness of the government`s efforts in this direction? Firstly, let us look at kind of schemes launched. Dhan Laxmi scheme of government of India, Ladli scheme of Delhi and Haryana, Ladli Lakshmi Yojna of Madhya Pradesh, Bhagyalakshmi of Karnataka, Balri Rakshak Yojna of Punjab, Balika Suraksha Yojna of Himachal Pradesh, Mukhya Mantri Kanya Vivah Yojna of Bihar, Balika Samrudhi Yojna of Gujrat etc.
Multiple conditions and corresponding documentation hinders the smooth implementation of the scheme. The monitoring mechanism for these kind of schemes is very poor. Government monitors the scheme through district authorities and organizes public hearing to gather feedback from the beneficiaries to take corrective actions. Many applicants are normally unaware of the benefits under the scheme. The ignorance and lack of awareness among the beneficiaries in turn leads to manipulation and corruption. These schemes are implemented through the vast network of Anganwadis and the ICDS machinery. Successful implementation requires support and co-operation from other departments such as education, health, pachayats etc. The officials responsible for implementing the schemes complain about non-support from the government departments resulting in delays and difficulties.
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With persistent inequalities in India, the girl child is at already at disadvantage and faces strong discrimination at every stage of her life in little or no access to education, lack of health care and nutrition and child marriage. In a shocking (?) revelation about the increasing intolerance of ‘modern’, ‘educated’ Indian society, a research article published this week in ‘The Lancet’ has shattered the claims of Indian governments—both central and states –in stopping the girl child killings every day and night in well-developed Indian habitats. This study, supported by India`s 2011 census preliminary results, reveal a growing imbalance between number of girls and boys aged 0-6 years due to increased parental sex determination with subsequent selective abortion. The international team of nine health experts lead by Prabhat Jha assessed sex ratios by birth order in 0.25 million births in three rounds of the nationally representative National Family Health Survey covering the period from 1990 to 2005.
The life of the girl child reflects strong elements of discrimination at various stages. Prejudice against daughters stems from the perception of girl child as a liability. Devil is apparently frightening us before we enter into details. But we have to face this grim nature of facts before we prepare ourselves to fight this challenge root of which firmly and deeply lying in social/cultural prejudice and convictions about the women as a whole in our everyday lives. The 2011 Indian census revealed about 7.1 million fewer girls than boys aged 0-6 years, a notable increase in the gap of 6.0 million fewer girls recorded in the 2001 census and the gap of 4.2 million fewer girls in the 1991 census. In effect, more girls than boys die at ages 1-59 months, but this is mostly offset by more boys than girls dying in the first month of life. In contrast, in most high-income countries, only slightly more boys than girls are born, with recorded sex ratios at birth of 950-975 girls per 1000 boys.
Significance of this study lies in the fact that this is first one to assess the trends over time in selective abortion of girls in India at the national level with nationally representative data. Research compared the sex ratios of second-order births after firstborn girls with the second-order sex ratio after firstborn boys. Findings note a sharp decline in the girl-to-boy sex ratio for second-order births when the firstborn was a girl. These declines are greater in educated and richer households than in illiterate and poorer households. The total of about 4-12 million selective abortions of girls happened during the period from 1980 to 2010. The data also suggests that selective abortion has spread from a handful of states to most parts of the country. Thus, most of India`s population now live in states where selective abortion of girls is common. The exact contribution of selective abortion of girls to the measured sex imbalance at ages 0-6 years in the censuses also depends upon child mortality rates. However, the uniqueness of this study lies in exposing that it is only in recent years did slightly more girls die compared with the boys.
A UNFPA study (2010) points out that even after legislations such as the ‘Pre-conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act of 1994’ (PCPNDT Act) and many campaigns to promote the value of girl child, the situation has barely improved. Both central and states have launched many programs and policies which aims at empowering girl child so that they can avail equal freedom and opportunity. All the policies target the poor families which de facto face poverty as a major constraint that prevents raising and educating girl children. But findings published in Lancet provoke us to shift the focus of policy, programs and schemes in completely reverse manner. It is to be emphasized here that for example poor regions, tribal regions of the country are far ahead as far as protecting the girl child to enhance the child sex ration than compared to so called educated, developed and rich class. We can easily make out that availability and access of cheap technology is making the monster out of this ‘modern life style.’
During the last decade, there has been a substantial decline in the sex-ratio at birth (SRB) as well as child sex ratio (CSR). The 2001 census data and the different rounds of sample registration surveys show that the problem is acute in the economically progressive states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Gujarat. Examination of child sex ratio at the district level indicated that in 1991, not a single district in India recorded a CSR less than 800. However, in 2001 census 14 districts came under this category. Likewise, there were no districts having CSR in the range of 800-849 in 1991, however 31 districts recorded this range in 2001. Triggering a sense of crisis, many states were forced to swing into action on the premise that financial incentives would trigger behavioral changes among communities, more specifically among newly weds and young parents to value a girl child. The effect of all the schemes was basically intended to improve Sex Ratio at Birth and Child Sex Ratio, increased school enrolment and attendance in primary, middle and high schools, and an enhanced age of marriage.
What the performance of all the schemes launched recently tells us about the effectiveness of the government`s efforts in this direction? Firstly, let us look at kind of schemes launched. Dhan Laxmi scheme of government of India, Ladli scheme of Delhi and Haryana, Ladli Lakshmi Yojna of Madhya Pradesh, Bhagyalakshmi of Karnataka, Balri Rakshak Yojna of Punjab, Balika Suraksha Yojna of Himachal Pradesh, Mukhya Mantri Kanya Vivah Yojna of Bihar, Balika Samrudhi Yojna of Gujrat etc.
Multiple conditions and corresponding documentation hinders the smooth implementation of the scheme. The monitoring mechanism for these kind of schemes is very poor. Government monitors the scheme through district authorities and organizes public hearing to gather feedback from the beneficiaries to take corrective actions. Many applicants are normally unaware of the benefits under the scheme. The ignorance and lack of awareness among the beneficiaries in turn leads to manipulation and corruption. These schemes are implemented through the vast network of Anganwadis and the ICDS machinery. Successful implementation requires support and co-operation from other departments such as education, health, pachayats etc. The officials responsible for implementing the schemes complain about non-support from the government departments resulting in delays and difficulties.
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