It is very sad to say that we are living in the 21st century and the advanced world, but still our thinking is very old about females. When the first child is birth as a girl in the family, we accept it quite happily and start thinking about who will come next – girl or boy. This thought provokes one to identify a girl or a boy in pregnancy. The ultrasound scan is used to determine male or female anatomy. If the next new baby is a boy, then it is okay; otherwise, people may attempt to kill this fetus inside the womb during the first trimester. This is the main reason for female foeticide. Thousands of girls are aborted after knowing their child’s sex, and it is the main cause of female foeticide and imbalance in the sex ratio. Asian and developing countries are ahead in female foeticide as compared to the developed countries.
Look at this world sex ratio image, which presents:
- Pink represents more Males.
- Blue more Females.
- Green the same number of Males/females
In Asian countries and some small countries in North America and Europe sex ratio is low compared to other continents.
Top 15 Countries where female Sex Ratio is low according to The World Factbook Birth Report (2020):
| Ranking | Name of the Nation | Sex Ratio at Birth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liechtenstein | 98.8 males / 100 Females |
| 2 | Northern Mariana Islands (US) | 112 Males / 100 Females |
| 3 | Azerbaijan | 97.5 Males / 100 Females |
| 4 | Grenada | 100.39 Males / 100 Females |
| 5 | India | 1000 Males / 1020 Females |
| 6 | Vietnam | 96 Males / 100 Females |
| 7 | China | 103.7 Males / 100 Females |
| 8 | San Marino | 96.8 Males / 100 Females |
| 9 | Isle of Man (UK) | 95.3 Males / 100 Females |
| 10 | Kosovo | 96.8 Males / 100 Females |
| 11 | Uzbekistan | 102 Males / 100 Females |
| 12 | Argentina | 98.6 Males / 100 Females |
| 13 | Armenia | 87 Males / 100 Females |
| 14 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 90.6 Males / 100 Females |
| 15 | Denmark | 98.8 Males / 107 Females |
| Source: Wikipedia | ||
Causes of Female Foeticide
However, there are many causes of female foeticide according to their regions, religions, and communities, but the following are the main reasons for girls’ child foeticide:
1. The Desire of a Boy
The first and vital cause is “boy is the status symbol in our society”. We think he will expand our family, earn good money, be a man is strong man physically & emotionally, and he can better take care of his parents till the end. The desire for a boy is the main cause of female foeticide. In many cases, parents give birth to many girls or kill them in the womb till then a boy is born.
2. A Girl cannot proceed with the family lineage
Most people think girls cannot proceed with their father’s family because girls will have to go to their in-laws’ family after marriage. Parents’ families will end after her marriage, and no one will be there for the parents’ care. But that all seems wrong. Most girls love their parents more than boys. They are always with their parents in joy and sorrow.
3. Misuse of Ultrasound technology
An ultrasound scanning machine gives a lot of useful information about the early foetus growth during pregnancy. Unfortunately, many IVF specialists misuse Ultrasound scan technology to check the baby’s sex, which is against the law and nature. Many ultrasound test centers charge a lot of money to scan fetuses just to identify whether this is a boy or a girl. If they find it is a girl, then some parents go for an abortion. This is a terrible crime and evil thinking.
4. Girls are not safe (Eve Teasing)
Our society is also responsible for girls killing in the womb. Boys tease the girls when they find them alone or even in public places. They make bad comments about their dresses, characters, sexual harassment, acid throwing, and dating abuse. That’s why parents are afraid to send girls outside the home, school, college, and other cities.
5. Marriage Expenses (Dowry System)
We have been following this evil tradition for the past 100 years. Parents start thinking about her marriage from the day she is born. They have started gathering things and money for her marriage, not for education and good living facilities for their girl. Dowry is a big burden on our society. Dowry is also a major cause of the deaths who are newly married and murdered by continuous harassment and torture by husbands or in-laws’ families. Dowry deaths are found in India, Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Iran. Hundreds of women are killed every day in the world just due to the Dowry System. We need to break this tradition to save lives and reduce the extra wedding expenses.
6. Raped or Sexual Harassment
A United Nations Rape statistical report shows that “250,000 cases of rape or attempted rape were recorded by police annually”. Many females are afraid to report this crime because of the importance of family reputation in society. Thousands of women are raped every day in the world, and many of them are killed. This is also the biggest cause of female foeticide.
7. A Girl is not as Strong as a Boy
We feel girls cannot do the work as well as boys can; they can’t join the army and police, girls cannot do heavy-duty jobs, become Catholic priests, drive buses & trucks, and professional pilots. But girls have reached all the places nowadays. They can perform any task. We just need to give them a chance to show their ability.
8. Gender Discrimination
Until we do not stop boy-and-girl gender discrimination till then this girl-killing crime is not going to stop. We need to treat and provide equal rights to girls not only at home but also in public places, offices, and educational institutes.
9. Lack of Education
The female Foeticide ratio is higher in countries or regions where the illiteracy rate is high, lack of education and knowledge. People are still living with traditional thoughts and culture, which is anti-women. Most of the women are still at home and busy with household work, and the reason behind it we think women are just for housework. She does not require education or work skills.
10. Corruption in the Medical Field
The medical profession was once an honest and respected field of work, but today it is corruption at every level. Corruption is also a major factor in the rise of female foeticide. Doctors charge a lot of money to check a baby’s gender using an ultrasound scan and then an abortion. The doctor and other medical staff need to do their work honestly and follow the legal acts.
What Steps Should We Take To Stop Female Foeticide?
After reading the causes of female foeticide, below are a few suggestions to stop female foeticide.
1. Change Thinking Save Girl
Yes, the first thing we need to do is change people’s thinking who think girls cannot change the world. We should not forget “a man takes birth from a woman”. So a female can do all the things that a man can do perfectly. Our mother also needs to take a step forward and report to your husband or any in-law family member who says about fetus abortion due to a girl in the womb. Need girls to nurse the same as we do for boys and train them for life challenges and careers, not just for housewives and baby-makers.
2. Strong Law
Need to make strong & strict, world-level laws so that everybody thinks about the punishment before committing this vital crime. We need to take strong action against doctors, labs, and hospitals where scans and abortions are done due to a girl in the womb.
3. Non-Gender Discoverable Ultrasound Machines
Our UltraSound machine maker should create an innovative technology that does not show the fetus’s gender during an ultrasound. I think Ultrasound is only a way to find the fetus’s sex in the womb. So the technician needs to change this change.
4. Public Awareness Programs
Govt or we need to spread awareness and education in our society about this inequality. We should include female foeticide topics in school and college syllabi, organize regular events in rural and urban regions, use technology to spread awareness, make girls feel safe, kill the dowry system, and any other cause that is responsible for female foeticide.
5. Equal preference
The main causes of female feticide are our society and parents giving more preference to sons. So we also need to remove this thought and give equal preference to the daughter and the son. A daughter loves her parents more than a boy and always stands with them in joy and sorrow.
In the end, the boy and the girls are important in a family. Both take birth in the world to make the new world. We should focus on their future, lives, and education, not gender. Always remember one thing: “A Man Alone cannot expend a Family Without a Woman”.
Please send your opinion below in the comments. Also, share this article with other people to spread awareness about female foeticide.
Female foeticide law needs to implement more forcefully. People also need to change their thoughts about girls.
Thanks for raising female foeticide causes. I think most of time your family force you for doing this crime. A mother never want that she do it. The education also matter.
You pick the real causes of female foeticide. The desire of the boy is the main reason for it. Many people do it, slowly but I think people now started realizing this mistake, as a result, low rate of female feticide in the last few years.