Will she get a chance?

The Census data is out and a development sector colleague heaved a sigh of relief looking at the Child Sex Ratio (CSR), “It s not as bad as I thought it would be.” This is when the Child Sex Ratio has plummeted to 914, the lowest ever in the history of Census in India, none of the northern states except Himachal has a CSR above 900 and almost all the states in India has recorded a drop a CSR. How much worse were we expecting it to be? Ms. Sonia Gandhi the declares in no unclear terms “In my own country, most worrying of all is the declining sex ratio of females to males”. Declining sex ratio has no doubt taken the centre stage of discussion and with marginal increase in the Sex Ratio, I am watching with complete disgust how we are losing sight of the bigger picture. Are we so shortsighted to realise that this low CSR will soon reflect in sex ratio sooner than later?

Sex selection takes place not because one has anything against a child but it takes place because a female is completely unwanted. It is elimination of a female that is more important in the female feticide and not the latter. It therefore saddens me to look at recent reports that talks with statistics on Section 315-316 on IPC that criminalizes abortion. Is this where we are drawing the battle now, Indian women versus the girl child? Where is our understanding that elimination of females owing to their sex before or after birth is "the ultimate manifestation of gender violence and discrimination, abuse of human rights, and infringement of values of equity, equality, justice, dignity, and quality of life for all”.

Being an agricultural society, India had no qualms about its overwhelming son-preference. What is strange was that the changing economic nature of the country did not have any effect the strong social bias against girls. This in fact showed worse manifestation in the 1980s and 1990s. Experts say son preference surfaced with a vengeance when Indian middle class felt the pressure of maintaining a small family that was good for its public image. Therefore, the education that did nothing to change one’s perception about gender and gave access to knowledge and technology, in turn broaden the phenomenon of elimination of female foetus in all the states of India. The phenomenon is much deadlier than infanticide and has more sinister effects given the geographical spread.

As the educated, urban and upper middle class is whole heartedly taking part in sex selection and selective removal of fetus on wonders one wonders what explains the behavior? Dowry? Unsafe environment for women? Or fear that women will seek property now that they can? Or sooner or later you have to make way for her in the Parliament? That they will use domestic violence act and not let one have his “daily pleasure of hand”? Are the battle lines drawn so clear already that the opponent is being removed even before she can take a position in the battlefield?

Get back the perspective India! It is the “she” who we need to fight for. You will not be able to protect the girl child without protecting the mother. If you promise to save a girl child promise a better life for the woman too. Without the latter the former stands no chance!