Thread: Female foeticide and sex determination-a crime

The encroachment in medical science and technology vis-à-vis pre-natal sex determination technique has extensively and abhorrently been tainted or rather maltreated in the Indian conventional, traditional society. Still in the 21st century the blessing with a female baby barely brings convivial bliss in majority of the Indian societies. This medical development is shoddily used in carnage of the girl child in mother’s womb. In yesteryear, especially in urban areas the pre-natal diagnostic centers have burgeoned across the nation. Such advancement in medical science and technology has lowered the status of women in India. India is a place where people worship several goddesses and known for its paying respect to women and their status. If in such a country people do not welcome a girl child with open arms it is a matter of shame. In order to prevent the girl child from being killed before birth, the Government took a notable initiative by enforcing the PRE-CONCEPTION AND PRE-NATAL DIGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES (PROHIBITION OF SEX SELECTION) ACT, 1994. This Act is an endeavor in the part of the Government to prohibit female foeticide and sex determination tests. If such practices are carried out by the doctors or in any medical institutions it is punishable under law.

Female foeticide and sex determination is a worst aspect of gender discrimination.If we want to curb this discrimination Socio-economic empowerment of women is essential.
Socio-economic empowerment of women is essential for making informed decisions and for change of the mind sets. The Government of India has undertaken a number of initiatives for this, such as Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP), The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MGNREGA), National Rural Livelihood Mission(NRLM) and loans through the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh. This should go a long way in empowering women and enable them to take decisions about the birth of children, their spacing, retain girl children and improve the nutritional and educational status.