Journal of Education & Social Policy

Female Infanticide and Patriarchal Attitude: Declining Sex Ratio in India
Mr. Krupasindhu Nayak

Abstract
Indian society is based on extreme patriarchal beliefs. The identity of a woman in an Indian society is not independent, but dependent on men. They are either known as the daughters, wives, or mothers. Of these three identities, the role as a mother is the most important one. “It is not only that motherhood brings status to woman but also it is an attribute without which she is useless. Being a mother is an achievement for Indian woman. However, the gender of the child plays a big difference in the pride of being a mother. “The birth of a son is perceived as an opportunity for upward mobility while the birth of a daughter is believed to result in downward economic mobility of the household and the family”. The birth of the girl comes as a burden to the parents especially during the marriage. It’s a tradition in India to give dowry to the groom’s family by bride’s parents. Since dowry is an unaffordable factor, parents choose not to give birth to daughter. The advancement of medical technologies, in forms of Pre-Natal Diagnostic Tests and amniocentesis, has resulted in the practice of destroying female foetuses, a sex-selective abortion. Being a woman from same part of the world and belonging to the similar tradition and religion, this issue needs to be brought up and analyzed in detail. Moreover, this is a humanitarian issue that deserves attention. This paper will focus around the theories that support and oppose the idea of sex selective abortion. It will further discuss the sources reviewed and add a synthesis or response towards the practice of sex-selective abortion in India.

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