No girls born for three months in 132 Indian villages amid fears of sex-selection
- Parents may be having sex-selective abortions in Uttarkashi, northern India
- The patriarchal society views boys as future breadwinners but girls as burdens
- There have not been any girls born across 132 villages in the last three months
None of the 216 children born across 132 villages in one Indian state over the last three months were girls, authorities have revealed.
It is feared parents have been having sex-selective abortions in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand state, northern India, in an effort to avoid giving birth to a girl.
The patriarchal society views boys as future breadwinners but girls as a potential financial burden.
It is feared parents have been having sex-selective abortions in Uttarkashi (pictured), Uttarakhand state, northern India, in an effort to avoid giving birth to a girl
And female foeticide has been a problem in the country for a while. There were only 943 women for every thousand men in India in the 2011 population census.
Ashish Chauhan, Uttarkashi’s district magistrate, said the rate was ‘suspicious and has highlighted female foeticide’, TNN agency reported.
The villages identified as having no girls born in the last three months have been labelled the ‘red zone’. This means local data will be scrutinised to try to uncover the reason behind the absence of female babies.
Legislative assembly member Gopal Ravat said: ‘I have directed the health department to find out the real cause of such alarming figures and to take serious action to resolve it.’
Despite the custom being banned in 1961 many families are still expected to pay a dowry when their daughters are married. Meanwhile a son is expected to ensure his parents are looked after in to their old age.
Female foeticide has been a problem in the country for a while. There were only 943 women for every thousand men in India in the 2011 population census (file image)