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 08 October 2008 00:45 BST

Charity attacks India's male preference

Saturday, 21 Jun 2008 07:51
The Indian preference for male children poses a growing threat, ActionAid says
India faces a bleak future if it fails to end the cultural preference for male children, ActionAid has warned.

It says the illegal use of ultrasound identifying the sex of a baby, together with practices like deliberately infecting the umbilical cord, are contributing to the male-female ratio reaching new extremes.

In the Punjab, India's richest state, there are just three girls born for every ten boys. This is the most extreme example but in all others the trend continues to be negative.

ActionAid cites medical journal the Lancet's estimate that around 500,000 female foetuses are aborted every year.

Laura Turquet, women's rights policy officer at ActionAid, said: "The real horror of the situation is that for women, avoiding having daughters is a rational choice. But for the wider society it’s creating an appalling and desperate situation."

Better law enforcement against ultrasound, improving access to healthcare and education and wider shifts in cultural attitudes are needed to halt the growing crisis, she adds.

"India must address economic and social barriers including property rights, marriage dowries and gender roles that condemn girls before they are even born. If we don't act now the future looks bleak," Ms Turquet said.End of story


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