The horrific gang rape in the national capital last year has failed to have much impact on the fate of the female children who continue to be terminated even before they are born. The problem is more rampant in some posh districts of Delhi with even many educated and well-off families opting only for a boy.
A women’s institution claimed that during their campaign against female foeticide, they came across cases where multiple abortions to get a male child had resulted in the late-born children suffering from physical disabilities.
“In an area like Vasant Kunj we came across women who gave birth to disabled male children. On receiving feedback during community meetings, we got to know that they had gone through sex-determination tests and multiple abortions before they finally got a male child,” said Dr Manasi Mishra, the research head of Centre for Social Research.
The organisation has been implementing a research programme against gender-based sex selection in all the 11 districts of the capital since February this year.
Mishra also said that the practice was less common in the slums and the poorer areas of the capital but said the lack of affordability of abortions was one of the reasons for the better show there.
“Women from well-off families in posh areas such as Punjabi Bagh and Amar Colony advocate for sex-determination tests which is worrying. Many Resident Welfare Association members, who could play a pro-active role in preventing female foeticide, too have been uncooperative,” she said.
Age gap
Further highlighting the widespread nature of this practice for long in educated families, Mishra said they have come across families in Dwarka which have daughters who are 13-14 years old and sons only 6-7 years old.
“The difference in the age of the two children in many cases is due to repeated termination of pregnancy for the want of a male child,” said Mishra.
As per 2011 census, Delhi had recorded a low child sex ratio of 866 girls to 1,000 boys.