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UNFPA
> Theme > Issues
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Where have all girls gone?
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On one hand, society is vibrating with the confidence and
positive energy of women, ironically, on the other hand, in
some regions and even well to do, educated homes, girls are
not even permitted to be born. The declining sex ratio
(It is the number of girls per 1000 boys in the 0-6 years age group)
is evidence of the apathy towards the girl child and demands immediate action.
The call of the hour is to bring about a change in the collective consciousness.
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India |
Worst States |
Worst District |
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1961 - 976 |
Punjab 798
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Fategarh Sahib (Punjab) 754
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1991 - 945 |
Haryana 819
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Kurukshetra (Haryana) 770
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2001 – 927 |
Delhi 868
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Ahmedabad 814
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Gujarat 883
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Southwest Delhi 845
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Rajasthan 909
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Mumbai 898
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Figures represent number of girls to 1,000 boys in 0-6 years age group
(Source: CENSUS 2001)
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Missing…. A Presentation
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Maps
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Skewed Child Sex Ratio
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The dangerously adverse child sex ratio is a challenge facing India. The root of this is in sex selection or determining the sex of the unborn child and eliminating if it is a female foetus
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Bitter Facts
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The preference for the male child is seen even for the first-born.
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Easy access to technology makes the situation worse.
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Urban, prosperous India seems to discriminate against its daughters more than rural areas do.
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States in the North East and South India, where women have better access to education, property and land, show a comparatively better sex ratio.
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The Root Cause
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Sex selection is not only about technology. “Ten million girls in India have been killed. These girls are not dying because of a tsunami, any infectious diseases or malnutrition, but have been killed by their parents who do not want a girl child,” says Renuka Chowdhury, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Women and Child Development.
At the heart of the matter is the low status of women in society and the deep-rooted prejudices they face through their life. A patriarchal social framework and a value system based on preference for the son aggravate this problem. Further, the practice of dowry and the tag of ‘paraya dhan’ translates into daughters being considered an economic liability. This results in one of the most repugnant form of violence against women: sex selection before birth.
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Impact
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The adverse sex ratio can destroy our moral and social fabric. New trends like bride buying, trafficking, rape, abduction, sexual violence against girls and women and polyandry are becoming prevalent in states with a skewed sex ratio like Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.
As creative communicators, you can play a powerful role to reach out and touch the collective conscience of the nation.
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