The Idea Department

A Project Syndicate article, written by Rakesh Mani, a Teach for India fellow,  has brought to light the worrying and escalating problem of what is currently being called ‘female gendercide’. This buzz-phrase refers to the aborting of the pregnancies of solely female fetuses, based on India’s tradition of favouring male children over females, as they are believed to be a financial gain rather than burden.

The article covers basic facts such as that of the growing inequality between the ratios of men to women in India, which is today reaching a 60 year low, to the mention of a ‘genitoplasty’ –an operation, the aim of which is to perform a sex-change on a newborn girl.  One comment following the article suggests an increase in female role-models for India, though what could a female role model stand for in a country that blatantly holds a preference for males? She would have to be brave enough to go against the norm in India, including the traditions enforced with such strong belief. As Mani suggests, one possibility could be to cut family spending on traditional weddings, in favour of an increase in inheritance for the married daughter in place of such an outlandish expenditure.

 One other internet source cites a similar thought to this, ‘I argue that women who inherit (or can potentially inherit) property, e.g. land, have a stronger fall-back position outside marriage (outside option) and therefore greater bargaining power within it as compared to those who don’t.’(Roy, 2010)   This latter source goes on in detail about the equal rights of inheritance that a very particular group of Indian women had received in the 80s and 90s, though highlighting the fact that the group is so minute, that female inheritance rights are still far from equal to those of men: ‘Under the Hindu Succession Act, historically, the vast majority of women in India had no claim to joint family property, while their brothers did.’(ibid)

Beside the unfair treatment of women in India, female children who are lucky enough to avoid abortion could still face the shocking process of a genitoplasty, a trend which seems to be growing. One article focuses on the procedure and it’s effects, telling of Indian law, shrouded by ‘silence and grey areas’, which allow for this to happen(Kadam, 2011). Mani blames tradition and culture in India itself for the prevailing problem which furthers inequality In India and supports the dowry system, fueling preference for male children: ‘sex ratio of the country’s children has dipped from 927 females per 1000 males to 914, a 60-year low.’(Mani, 2011)

Overall it seems that Rakesh Mani’s closing suggestions for change in India, including the alteration of wedding expenditures to inheritance funds, ‘new laws – direct and enforceable’ and additional benefits for families with more girls, are the most positive reading on the subject, and which will hopefully spark increased interest as well as definite change.