Indian Prime Minister Singh Decries Sex-Selective Abortions, Calls For Stricter Enforcement Of Laws

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 30 Apr 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday during a national conference condemned the practice of sex-selective abortions and called for stricter enforcement of laws that prohibit the practice, the New York Times reports. During his first speech on the subject, Singh highlighted the "alarming" gender imbalance in the country. In 1981, 962 girls were born for every 1,000 boys. In 2001, the number of girls had declined to 927 for every 1,000 boys (Gentleman, New York Times, 4/29).

Singh said that sex-selective abortions are "a national shame" and that India "must face this challenge squarely here and now." He added, "No nation, no society, no community can hold its head high and claim to be part of the civilized world if it condones the practice of discriminating against one half of humanity represented by women" (PA/Google.com, 4/28).

According to the AP/Google.com, some experts have estimated that up to 500,000 female fetuses are aborted in India annually because of a "deep-rooted" cultural preference for male children (Rabinowitz, AP/Google.com, 4/28). During the last 30 years, an increasing availability of ultrasound equipment has enabled the country's preference for sons to distort sex ratios, the Times reports (New York Times, 4/29).

The country in 1994 approved the Prenatal Determination Act, which bans the use of technology, including ultrasounds and sonograms, for the purpose of sex-selective abortions. The law also bans advertisements for prenatal sex determination, as well as the practice of preconception sex selection (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/23/07). According to the Times, studies indicate that the law is widely flouted and doctors often give coded hints to indicate the sex of the fetus (New York Times, 4/29).

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Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss at the conference said that stricter enforcement of the laws is not enough. "At the heart of the problem are deep-rooted prejudices" against women, Ramadoss said, adding, "The long-term solution to this problem lies in creating the right environment where sons and daughters are equally valued" in India.

Singh said that to achieve equality for women, India must address many issues, including child marriage, female illiteracy, malnutrition and cultural restrictions on women in public places (AP/Google.com, 4/28). "Societal discrimination against women begins in our homes and even before the girl child is born," Singh said, adding, "We must overcome this great problem through social awareness and strict enforcement" of the laws (Times of India, 4/29). Singh urged government ministries to work together to undo the preference for male children, as well as the "unethical conduct on the part of some medical practitioners and unscrupulous parents, who illegally offer sex-determination services" (New York Times, 4/29).

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