Female Foeticide: A Socio-Legal Puzzle

Abstract

“Every newborn baby is God‟s opinion that the WORLD should go on” – Carl Sandburg

Women around the world face various forms of atrocities, but one of the most brutal is female foeticide, where female fetuses are deliberately terminated in the womb simply because of their gender, depriving them of the opportunity to be born. Female foeticide typically occurs in patriarchal societies where females experience inequality, and now they are even denied the right to exist before birth.

Traditionally, determining the sex of the fetus was challenging, and if a female child was born, she might have been subjected to infanticide. However, with advancements in prenatal sex detection technologies, selective abortions of female fetuses have become prevalent. While female foeticide is legally punishable, it continues to persist, particularly in India, where it emerged alongside the widespread availability of prenatal sex determination in the 1990s.

The primary reason behind female foeticide is economic. Families often prefer male offspring because daughters are seen as an economic burden due to the dowry system prevalent in many societies. Sons are perceived as providing security and performing ancestral rites, while daughters are considered liabilities.

Despite strict laws prohibiting sex-selective abortions, the practice persists. This article explores the socio-legal complexities surrounding female foeticide and the consequences of a skewed gender ratio in Indian society.