scholarly journals Gender Discrimination and Sex-Ratio Imbalance: A Qualitative Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 746-750
Author(s):  
Bijayalaxmi Nanda ◽  
Nupur Ray
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Sex Selection ◽  
Family Welfare ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Sex Ratio At Birth ◽  
The Government

The article strives to engage with the notion of gender discrimination at birth. It critically examines the various trends in the Sex Ratio at Birth in order to explore the intensification of its masculinization. Gender- biased sex selection or the practice of sex determination followed by sex-selective abortion in India is considered to be the main reason for this masculinization. Decennial Census since 1991 has shed light on this through its child sex ratio data. Other survey data which capture this include the National Family Health Survey. Scholars, policy-makers, demographers and health practitioners have closely examined this form of discrimination by delving into both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The government of India has unfurled many policies, programmes and laws to counter this imbalance. However, the ratios continue to reveal severe imbalances with passage of time. Apart from the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection Act) 1994 we have the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme which was initiated in 2014. The scheme is a holistic one bringing about a tri ministerial convergence of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Women and Child Development to work on the issue. The approach of the scheme is a community approach falling largely within the rubric of enabling community health practices and participation. The paper draws on both the trends in the Sex Ratio at Birth and other data enriching it by voices from the field from districts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh where the decline is one of the worst. It contextualizes the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme in this regard in order to arrive at a conclusion of what has improved in terms of numbers as well as attitudes or mindsets. It finally makes suggestions for the way forward in terms of countering gender discrimination at birth and bringing about an egalitarian society by emphasizing on the value of girl-child and women. 

scholarly journals Is sex ratio at birth an appropriate measure of prenatal sex selection? Findings of a theoretical model and its application to India

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. e000675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Dubuc ◽  
Devinderjit Singh Sivia
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Sex Selection ◽  
Sex Ratio At Birth ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Fertility Reduction ◽  
Squeeze Effect ◽  
India And China ◽  
Selection Practices

Son preference and prenatal sex selection against females have resulted in significant sex ratio at birth (SRB) imbalances well documented in several Asian countries, including India and China. The SRB bias is generally used as indicator for the extent and trends of prenatal sex selection against females. Decreasing fertility levels are expected to increase sex selection and thus SRB bias, since desiring fewer children increases the risk for families to remain sonless (fertility squeeze effect). We developed and employ mathematical models linking family size, birth order and childbearing strategies with population SRB bias. We show that SRB bias can increase despite fewer sex selection interventions occurring, inconsistent with the expectation of the fertility squeeze effect. We show that a disproportionality effect of fertility reduction amplifies SRB bias, in addition to the fertility squeeze effect, making SRB bias an inaccurate indicator for changes in sex selection practices within a population. We propose to use sex selection propensity (proportion of couples intervening) to measure behavioural change and evaluate policies targeting sex selection practices. We apply our findings to India, showing for instance that sex selection propensity in Punjab and Delhi was lower than in Rajasthan or Uttar Pradesh, despite significantly higher SRB bias in the former. While we observe a continuous overall increase in the SRB over the 2005–2010 period in India, our results indicate that prenatal sex selection propensity started declining during that period.

Changing Mindsets: How China's Abnormal Sex Ratio Is Turning Its Government into a Champion of Gender Equality

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 1-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Ying Tan
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Fertility Decline ◽  
Gender Attitudes ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Sex Ratio At Birth ◽  
Selective Abortion ◽  
Sex Selective Abortion ◽  
The Government

AbstractA combination of factors has led to an increasing imbalance in the sex ratio of China's population. China's sex ratio at birth is 119 boys per 100 girls, far above the global norm of 106. This paper will focus on the abnormal sex ratio as a consequence of traditional Chinese gender attitudes holding women inferior and subordinate to men, which have been brought to the fore by a combination of fertility decline and technological advancement. Accordingly, any solution to the demographic problem must address these prevalent, entrenched mind-sets. The government appears to realise that existing laws prohibiting sex-selective abortion and infanticide will fail to correct the sex ratio. This paper examines the trend in government responses towards efforts to address traditional gender attitudes and argues that the demographic crisis may have turned the Chinese government into an unlikely champion of gender equality.

scholarly journals Gender, Intra-Household Discrimination and Cash Transfer Schemes: The Case of Indian Punjab

Economies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Singh
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Average Duration ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The State ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Girl Child ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Duration Of Breastfeeding

For many years, the Punjab province of India has had the dubious distinction of having the worst sex ratio among all other states of India. In recent years, both the child sex ratio and the overall sex ratio has shown a marked improvement in the state. This paper analyses whether the improvement in sex ratios has narrowed down gender discrimination against the girl child in Punjab. This paper examines the intra-household gender differences in indicators of nutrition and well-being by employing logistic regression analysis on the latest available data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) for the year 2015–2016. It also evaluates the cash transfer schemes currently being implemented in Punjab for the welfare of the girl child and analyses their relative efficacy. The key results from the study reveal that gender continues to have a significant impact on indicators of child well-being and nutrition such as the average duration of breastfeeding and intra-household food allocation. The paper also finds that cash transfer schemes do not have a statistically significant impact on indicators of child malnutrition in the state.

scholarly journals Density of in-vitro fertilization centers and its correlation with socioeconomic factors in Maharashtra state, India

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 342
Author(s):  
Prakash Prabhakarrao Doke ◽  
Daya Krishan Mangal ◽  
Anuja Gulati
Keyword(s):  
In Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Treatment Center ◽  
Sex Ratio At Birth ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Female Literacy

Background: The infertility due to various reasons is increasing and correspondingly the number in vitro fertilization (IVF) centers is also increasing. Some procedures in these centers can deliver desired sex of the unborn child. The gender discrimination in India has already resulted unfavorable child sex ratio for girls. Maharashtra is one of the badly affected states. It is feared that the child sex ratio may further decline due to IVF centers. The study was carried out to measure correlation between number of IVF centers with various indicators of sex ratio infertility, and some socio-economic factors.Methods: The study was conducted in 2014 using secondary data. District wise internet search by using words ‘In-Vitro Fertilization center’ and ‘infertility treatment center’ was carried out. Whenever IVF center/procedure was noticed on the internet, the center with its address was included in that district list.Results: There was positive correlation between IVF centers and urbanization, per capita income, female literacy and negative correlation with population sex ratio and no correlation with sex ratio at birth or child sex ratio. The best correlation was observed with urbanization, which explains the observed correlation with other variables.Conclusions: The number of IVF centers is not related with magnitude of infertility and not affecting sex ratio whereas IVF density seems to be an outcome of extent of urbanization.

scholarly journals Sex-selective Abortion Bans are Not Associated with Changes in Sex Ratios at Birth in Illinois and Pennsylvania

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sital Kalantry
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Sex Ratios ◽  
State Legislatures ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sex Selection ◽  
Sex Ratio At Birth ◽  
Selective Abortion ◽  
Sex Selective Abortion ◽  
Newborn Children

Legal prohibitions on sex-selective abortions are proliferating in the United States. Eight state legislatures have banned abortions sought on the basis of the sex of the fetus, 21 states have considered such laws since 2009, and a similar bill is pending in U.S. Congress. These laws have been introduced and enacted without any empirical data about their impact or effectiveness. Prior studies of U.S. Census data found sex ratios among foreign-born Chinese, Korean and Indian immigrants were skewed in favor of boys, but only in families where there were already one or two girls. Using the variation in the timing of bans in Illinois and Pennsylvania as natural experiments, we compare the pre-ban and post-ban sex ratios of certain Asian newborn children in these states over 12-year periods. We then compare these ratios with the sex ratios of Asian newborn children in neighboring states during the same period. We find that the bans in Illinois and Pennsylvania are not associated with any changes in sex ratios at birth among Asians. In Illinois and its neighboring states, the sex ratio at birth of Asian children was not male-biased during our study period. On the other hand, the sex ratio at birth among Asians in Pennsylvania and its neighboring states was skewed slightly in favor of boys, but the enactment of the ban did not normalize the sex ratio. This strongly suggests that sex-selective abortion bans have had no impact on the practice of sex selection, to the extent that it occurs, in these states. This finding is highly relevant to legislative and policy debates in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures where sex-selective abortion laws are being considered.Published: Sex-selective Abortion Bans are Not Associated with Changes in Sex Ratios at Birth in Illinois and Pennsylvania (with Arindam Nandi and Brian Citro), Forum on Health and Economic Policy, December 2014 (peer-reviewed journal).

scholarly journals Sex Preferences Among Mothers Delivering at Patan Hospital

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 229-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
U D Chhetri ◽  
I Ansari ◽  
S Bhandary ◽  
N Adhikari
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Previous History ◽  
Life Time ◽  
Sex Selection ◽  
Sex Ratio At Birth ◽  
Female Birth ◽  
Old Age Security ◽  
Sex Preferences ◽  
History Of ◽  
A Prospective Study

Background High sex ratios at birth (SRB) are seen in China, Taiwan, South Korea, parts of India and Vietnam. The imbalance is the result of son preference, accentuated by declining fertility. Prenatal sex determination and female feticides are common in many countries. It is reflected in sex ratio Objective To determine reasons for the preferences for different sex; to find out whether there is altered sex ratio at birth and to find out whether female feticide are common among women who had abortion. Method It is a prospective study. Women who had previous history of abortion and had delivered at Patan Hospital in the year 2066 were interviewed as per questionnaires. Results Among 560 women with total live births of 965, (462 male and 503 female) during their life time the overall sex ratio was 92 male per 100 female birth; total abortions were 663. Preferences for male were 10%, female 15.4% and either was for 74%. The reason for male preference was to continue family lineage, to bring honor, old age security, and performing funeral rites while the reasons for daughter preferences were that they understand mother’s pain, help in household work. The sex ratio of the babies born during the study period was 113 male per 100 female births. The Sex ratio at birth from 1st to 6th deliveries was 61, 79, 101, 210, 286 and 1100 male per 100 female birth respectively. Prenatal sex selection was 8% (by USG) but none had sex selected abortion. ConclusionSex ratio of those delivered during the study period was skewed (136 boys per 100 girls) towards male. There was shift in SRB in 4th and subsequent pregnancies in favor of boys. As the male sex ratio increased the number of induced abortion decreased in subsequent pregnancies.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v9i4.6334 Kathmandu Univ Med J 2011;9(4):229-232 

scholarly journals Does the prenatal factor or the postnatal factor contribute more to changes in the child sex ratio in India? An investigation in the context of fertility and mortality transition

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Ajit Kumar Yadav ◽  
Faujdar Ram ◽  
Akansha Singh ◽  
Chander Shekhar
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
State Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Sex Selection ◽  
Sex Ratio At Birth ◽  
Relative Mortality ◽  
Prenatal Factors ◽  
Sex Differentials ◽  
Postnatal Factors

Abstract There has been a drastic decline in the child sex ratio (number of females per 1000 males between ages 0 and 4) in India and many of its states. This study aimed to examine if prenatal factors, such as change in sex ratio at birth, or postnatal factors, such as change in relative mortality of females and males, contribute to this more by analysing the dynamics of the child sex ratio. Changes in the child sex ratio during 2001–2011 were decomposed into a ‘fertility’ component attributable to prenatal sex selection and a ‘mortality’ component attributable to sex differentials in postnatal survival at the country as well as the state level. Between the prenatal factor and the postnatal factor, the contribution of the latter to the declining child sex ratio has been greater than the former in India as a whole and in most of the states. By focusing on both prenatal and postnatal factors, the imbalance in the child sex ratio in the country can be reduced to a large extent.

scholarly journals CHILD SEX RATIO IMBALANCE AND CROSS REGIONAL BRIDES: A GENDERED PARADOX IN HARYANA AND UTTAR PRADESH

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Bijayalaxmi Nanda
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Sex Selection ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Gender Biases ◽  
Economically Marginalized ◽  
Cultural Preference ◽  
Sex Selective Abortion ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Sex Ratio Imbalance

A deeply rooted cultural preference for sons has led to scarcity of girls in states such as Haryana,Punjab,Uttar Pradesh and, Rajasthan. Gender-based violence, sex-selective abortions, discriminatory practices against girls and expensive dowries are common in these areas.The gender biases have deprived women of their basic rights to education,mobility, choice of partner,employment,ownership of property/land and so on.This limits their overall development and growth. Advancement in new reproductive technology has exacerbated the issue of gender biased sex selection or sex selective abortion, thus resulting in a significantly skewed sex ratio. A skewed ratio of women to men has led to brides being 'purchased' from economically marginalized states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal. As a result, these migrant brides are forced to negotiate with 'new' cultural and social situations.The paper attempts to understand the struggle, exploitation, and abuse experienced by these 'migrant brides' residing in three villages, namely Pipli village in Kharkhoda Tehsil of Sonipat District,Deroli Ahir village in Narnaul Tehsil of Mahendragarh District and Gurana village in Baraut Tehsil of Bahgpat district.

scholarly journals Beti bachao, beti padhao programme: a right initiative to save the girl child

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 2153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramesh Verma ◽  
Rohit Dhaka ◽  
Ginni Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Sex Selection ◽  
Significant Fraction ◽  
Girl Child ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
Prenatal Diagnostic

In world, almost half of the total population made up of women but they still lag behind men in a lot of areas. The skewed child sex ratio is a prime indicator of women disempowerment, lack of value attached to her and disrespect. Over few years, a significant fraction of number of women has been at the receiving end of discrimination and exploitation. The skewed child sex ratio is because of both gender biased sex selection, and post birth discrimination against girls. The proliferation and abuse of advanced technologies coupled with social factors such as dowry, concerns with family name and looking up to the son as a breadwinner. Female feticide resulting in a decline of the child sex ratio has led to enforcement of Preconception and Prenatal diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) act.  On 22 January 2015 at Panipat in Haryana, Prime Minister of India launched the scheme Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save daughters, Educate daughters) programme. The initiative aims to improve the present low child sex ratio and increase the value of girl child by focusing on three pronged strategy for empowerment of girl child.

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