Alarming decline in child sex ratio in DK: Prof Hilda

With the skewed child sex ratio in Dakshina Kannada district, there is a need to change mindset among the people on having female children, said Prof Hilda Rayappan of Prajna Counselling Centre.

Currently, the sex ratio in Dakshina Kannada stood at 1020 females per 1000 males, compared to 2001 census figure of 1022 females per 1000 males.

However, there has been alarming decline in the child sex ratio in the age bracket of 0-6 years. In 2011 census, child sex ratio was 947 girls per 1000 boys compared to figure of 952 girls per 1000 boys of 2001 census data.

She was speaking at a gender sensitisation workshop, organised jointly by district administration, Department of Women and Child Development and Department of Information and Public Relations under Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme at Press Club on Thursday.

Hilda said doctors normally write ‘spontaneous abortion’ as reason during medical termination of pregnancy (MTP), without mentioning exact cause of the abortion. The gynecologists felt that they have to go through a long procedure while filling the form.

During the meeting of the sub-committee, constituted under Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme, to look into the cause of decline in sex ratio among children, a few of the gynecologists have promised to write down the actual cause of the MTP through a counsellor, Prof Rayappan added.

Deeds Director Merlyn Martis said according to the data of 2018-19, collected by Department of Health and Family Welfare, 36 male and 21 female children were born in Bala village of Mangaluru taluk. At least 30 villages in Mangaluru taluk have recorded low sex ratio among children below six years.

The sub-committees have been consulting Asha and Anganwadi workers, health workers and villagers to know the cause of the decline in the sex ratio, she added.

‘’We should stop discriminating between male and female children in the family. The residents in Malooru village in Mangaluru taluk said that female children were not born in the village.

All the scanning centres have to upload details of the pregnant women who underwent scanning, along with the details, including the phone number, to district health office (DHO). The DHO in turn crosschecks the information to know whether child is alive through a sample survey,’’ she said.

Further, economic progress and decline in child sex ratio are related.

Centre for Development Studies and Education Director Prof Rita Noronha said sex discrimination was built into the institution and culture. Equality in representation is need of the hour.

“The society has failed to teach a girl child to protect herself. Though stalking is a crime, it is glorified in the movies,’’ she said.

Rita said a majority of the sexual assault cases occur within the four walls of the house, committed by relatives, family members and neighbours.