Missing women—revisited
BMJ 2003; 327 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.327.7427.1297 (Published 04 December 2003) Cite this as: BMJ 2003;327:1297All rapid responses
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I have punctiliously gone through the write-up and my opinion is that
the revered author of this article has appropriately mentioned that the
States in the North and the West are mainly responsible for the sex
selective abortions. However, my view is that the school education does
not have any role in this regard because we have observed that educated
and prosperous states are the worst hit states in this field. The scenario
will change only if we remove the religious myths prevailing in our
society. These myths are deeply rooted in our society that only the male
child will free them from this circle of rebirth and he will take them to
the heaven where the supreme Almighty resides. If we go to the very origin
of the words putra (son) and putri (daughter), it is categorically stated
that no such preference for the male baby was there initially. This is
clearly described in the following:
iqUukedkr~ ujdkr~ Lofir¤u~ rzk;rs ;% l iqrz% A
– one who frees his forefathers from the hell named as putt is said
to be a putra (son).
Similarly, iqUukedkr~ ujdkr~ Lofir¤u~ rzk;rs ;% l iqrzh% A
– one who frees his forefathers from the hell named as putt is said to be
a putri (daughter).
If this message is circulated in the society, this will support the
belief that it is not only the son but a daughter also can perform the
rituals after parents’ death. And, therefore, a daughter can as well
support them during their lifetime. We need not therefore depend on the
stringent laws regarding the female foeticide. We should rather educate
our messages according to our old scriptures.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Prof Amartya Sen’s article made interesting reading. The evil
practices of gender inequality are so deep rooted and rampant in our
society, that sadly even such alarming statistics fail to shock us
anymore. And unless we wake up to reality from our deep slumber of
complacency, and do some serious soul searching, all these appalling
inhuman deeds will remain but another statistical graph on a piece of
paper to be tossed away. I feel the variation in the crime graph of female
infanticide in different states of India observed by Prof Sen could be
nothing but a coincidence. That is because unfortunately, literacy or
economic well being have done little to free our masses from the shackles
of their innate contempt for the fairer sex, sprouting from their up-
bringing in a society that considers a girl nothing more than a ‘burden.’
The low status accorded to women knows no barriers of religion, caste,
creed, sex, economic status, education or geographical boundaries. We seem
united in our endeavour to belittle women!
Since female infanticide is a crime overwhelmingly committed by
women, it is but natural for us to point a finger at them and rest easy.
But the facts are much bigger and complex than that meets our eye. How
could a woman be so insensitive and merciless to a life nurtured in her
own womb? It shows if at all how little control she has over her own
life….if she is compelled enough to feel that it is a lesser crime to
snuff out the flicker of life in her womb than let it suffer the misery
and pain she endures day in and day out…a living death. And though nothing
at all can justify such a brutal act, it should make us sit up and think
that it is worthless to pour our energy and resources just to see an
increase in the number of the female sex. Basic and fundamental issues
related to human rights and dignity need to be tackled foremost. Though it
is a mean task to accomplish, only if we strive to make these less
privileged ones realise the joy of ‘living’ ,can they learn to value
another ‘life.’ And this gargantuan mission is not possible only by
education, legal enforcement or political sermons ....we may see a glimmer
of light at the end of the dark tunnel, only when each and every one of
us, male or female, rich or poor, educated or not, delves deep into his
own heart to ask if he has been fairly just and unbiased in his attitude
towards the female sex in his day-to-day life…...be it his mother, wife,
sister, daughter, friend or anyone else…only if our own conscience is
touched with the enormity and anguish of this heinous act, can we touch
the lives of others….
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Amartya Sen has revisited his editorial after a decade .The issue
(sex ratio) almost remains the same but there have been lot of changes in
this span. As rightly pointed out the female mortality has been reduced
substantially but this has been counterbalanced by sex specific abortions
aimed against female fetus.
We found this editorial thought provoking and would like to discuss on the
issue of sex ratio variations within India .The ratio is least in northern
and western provinces of India . First of all this region is a mixture of
extremes with lot of diversities in between the states. They include
richest of the states like Punjab , Haryana and poor states like Bihar and
Rajasthan. This follows the variation in literacy and availability of
latest medical facilities accordingly.
Secondly the difference in the ancestral backgrounds might (Aryans Vs
Dravidians )be playing a subtle role in this difference. Vedic Aryan
tribes who invaded India, in order to maintain a strong population
prescribed intense hatred to women through Vedas. Atharva veda says “ let
a female child be born somewhere else, let male child be born over here.”
Above might be some of the reasons but it’s high time that this issue has
to be taken seriously and explore for the causal factors which might help
in intervention accordingly to halt the fall in sex ratio.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: Down the line in the other regions we don’t find this extreme diversity in the states and thereis a mixed blend in population and other aspects .
I read Prof. Sen's seminal aide memoire on 'missing women' in the context of sex specific abortions with great interest; more so because I myself have been involved with the issue of female infanticide and feticide as a researcher for the last four years or so. There is no disputing the fact that the 2001 Census observed a sharp decline in child sex ratio across India and that the number of missing women has been exceeding remarkably. It has also come to be established that there is persistent daughter disadvantage in Indian society. However, the question that concerns us here is basis for the claims that the 1991-2001 declines in child sex ratios are caused by sex selective abortions and/or female infanticide. The equation for such assertion is largely propositional; that a strong son preference in India and available sex determination techniques is sufficient to explain the significant decline in child sex ratio in India between 1991 and 2001. Demographers have yet to estimate how many cases of sex selective abortions and infanticide have to take place in a decade in order to alter the sex composition of the child population to the extent observed in this period?
To what extent female infanticide and sex selective abortions are responsible for the sex ratio decline has been a matter of debate on sex ratio in India ever since British have claimed to 'unearthed' the barbaric practice of female infanticide in 18th century. However, there has been a shifting focus on the analysis of 'missing women' since then. Not in the distant past, scholars like Alaka Basu (1992) and Leela Visaria (1994) have denied the impact of female infanticide and sex selection procedures on sex ratio differences. Even Dreze and Sen (1995; 2002) have argued that the reasons for sex ratio differntials lie in 'age groups beyond that of female infanticide'.
Interestingly, a lull in the analysis of sex ratio was noticed when there was a marginal improvement in the sex ratio of the country from 930 in 1971 to 934 in 1981. Moreover, a 17 point decline in child sex ratio in 1991 was rarely noticed and discussed (at least in the context of sex selection and female infanticide) by the demographers except a brief reference now and then. On the other hand, the urgency with which the decline (18 points) in child sex ratio after the publication of 2001 Census results is viewed and approached by demographers seem to preclude measured discussion. After all, during the 1950s and 1960s when all states in India including Kerala, with the exception of some north-eastern states, witnessed a decline in sex ratio (Census 1961 and 1971), there were no sex selective abortions, and accounts of female infanticide were rare and they suggested that the practice was largely caste and region specific. Why should some of the factors that applied then not also apply now?
By presenting all this, I am, in no way, denying the fact that sex specific abortion or female infanticide do not exits in India; they do. What is in question, however, is the fact that a mere analysis of 'missing women' in demographic terms does not explain why the practice of female infanticide, which was claimed to be effectively repressed during colonial rule, re-appeared in certain communities and certain regions that have no historical records of the same, e.g. the Piramai Kallars in Tamil Nadu or the landowning castes in Bihar. Instead, Prof. Sen's emphasis on the 'inability' to explain the phenomena in terms of religious background, income level, economic growth, female education or the availability of medical resources does seem to merit the analyses and, thus, requires further intervention by Sociologist and Social Anthropologists to ‘take a plural view of gender inequality’ – an agenda consistently being emphasised by him. What other factors might help to explain the changes, and what evidence would allow us to choose one explanation rather than another, or to calculate the relative contributions of different factors is what lies at the crux of understanding the phenomena of ‘missing women’.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
it will be interesting to know who is more responsible, the male or
female for the missing women. in dowry deaths,(in hindi films especially)
a prominent role is played by mother-in-laws and sister-in-laws. in not
too recent incidences of sati(medieval practice of burning widows along
with their dead husband on the wooden pyre), role of women stand out like
a sore thumb. women also want male offsprings for any one of the reasons
cited in this article and the responses that follow. now that we have
three women chief ministers in the north and west, will there be persuance
of female foeticide with renewed vigour or will this abate or reverse,
only time can tell. reading between the lines, the conclusions at the end
of article make ominous reading and portend greater evil!
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
I am quite surprised that it has been automatically assumed that a
modern pernicious practise is somehow related to the hoary traditions of a
five thousand year old religion.I do not find any evidence to support that
in my reading.Though the pandavas had no sister there have been
traditional representation of women godesses in India.In fact it is one of
the few religions in which people pray to the female form..Some of the
responses are similair to Katherine Mayos book on India about which
Mahatma Gandhi said-A drainpipe inspectors report.How is abortion of a
child with cleft palate somehow morally superior?or indiscriminate
abortions?.I am a supporter of the womens right to choose but how does one
justify it in some situations and not in others?Some of us belong to the
very few matriarchial societys in the world and carry our mothers family
name so it is unfair to tar everybody with the same brush.The author was
right in stating that there are complex reasons for these practises.I do
hope the social reformers we are all yearning for are of the Raja Ram
mohan roy class
Competing interests:
Secular Indian of the Nehru/Gandhi school of thought
Competing interests: No competing interests
As a comparison could the respected author also calculate the number
of missing children(male and female) in Western Europe and North America
who have also suffered selective foeticide due to economic pressures?
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
In India and China we can all agree boys are preferred to girls for
reasons given previously i.e. economics and religion.
Women are treated like second class citizens and in some parts, farm
animals carry more value, but lets not go there....
The lack of women of marriageable age, will simply mean in 10 to 15
years time, the parents will not be able to find brides for their son(s).
Those parents of girls of marriageable age will be able to pick and
choose the groom to whom they give their daughters hand in marriage. In
fact I can envisage a scenario where the boys family have to pay the girls
family a "reverse dowry"!!
I occasionally read about "kitchen fires" -- the horrible Indian
euphemism for bride-murder -- after the husband's parents were
dissatisfied with the motor-scooter or refrigerator delivered by the
bride's parents. I some how doubt this would continue if it took several
years to find another wife at the cost several thousand rupees!!
I am not trying to defend female infanticide, however the medium to
long term consequence of this practice will surely help to improve the
quality of life for the remaining women and hopefully bring boys and girls
to an equal footing.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
The distinguished author has indeed brought up a rather poignant if
not shameful reminder to the world’s largest democracy proudly declaring
itself to be the “next” superpower.
Where are the little girls hiding?
That the Great North-South divide exists comes as little surprise. It
is the extent that cuts to the quick. And as the author puts it quite
rightly there is definitely no dearth of educated young women across the
country. Where there is a vastly perceptible difference is the value given
to an educated young woman living to the south of the divide. To whatever
extent, education is empowerment and this may well be one of the factors
which has helped resist the quagmire of religious traditions and socio-
political agendas.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Religious differences and abortion rates
I have taken a long time to write this response as between preparing
for the new contract, QPA, appraisals and gardening as a bit of light
relief it has taken me a long time to find evidence for what I knew
already.
In the article it stated: "The higher incidence of sex-specific abortions
in the north and the west cannot be explained by .....religious background
either, since Hindus and Muslims are divided across the country...."
I have always known the concentration of Catholics to be greater in the
South and possibly the east.
I was able to find Provincial statistics for populations easily,
(http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/country/spcin3.html)
but what took time was to plot it on the map.
The data confirms my suspicions: the abortion figures are much lower where
there are more catholics.
NS
#
Catholics
Population
Percent Catholic
Province
Dioceses
S
789,000
3,929,000
20.08%
Trichur (Syro-Malabarese)
3
s
2
881,000
5,594,000
15.75%
Ernakulam-Angamaly (Syro-Malabarese)
2
s
3
1,848,000
19,750,000
9.36%
Madurai
6
n/e
4
594,000
9,386,000
6.33%
Shillong
4
s
5
1,054,000
20,335,000
5.18%
Changanacherry (Syro-Malabarese)
5
s
6
1,400,000
34,283,000
4.08%
Verapoly
11
s
7
813,000
20,028,000
4.06%
Pondicherry and Cuddalore
5
s
8
954,000
26,360,000
3.62%
Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor)
5
e
9
756,000
25,520,000
2.96%
Ranchi
9
s
10
1,019,000
37,184,000
2.74%
Visakhapatnam
6
e
11
120,000
4,426,000
2.71%
Imphal
2
s
12
591,000
22,312,000
2.65%
Tellicherry (Syro-Malabarese)
4
ne
13
531,000
25,849,000
2.05%
Guwahati
5
s
14
992,000
57,508,000
1.72%
Bangalore
8
s
15
395,000
25,247,000
1.56%
Trivandrum (Malankarese)
4
s
16
881,000
61,171,000
1.44%
Bombay
5
s
17
420,000
32,849,000
1.28%
Cuttack-Bhubaneswar
5
s
18
461,000
41,017,000
1.12%
Hyderabad
7
m
19
542,000
65,728,000
0.82%
Bhopal
13
e
20
542,000
66,375,000
0.82%
Calcutta
8
w
21
162,000
46,540,000
0.35%
Gandhinagar
4
n
22
219,000
68,395,000
0.32%
Delhi
4
n
23
170,000
88,904,000
0.19%
Patna
5
s
24
56,000
34,587,000
0.16%
Nagpur
4
n
25
118,000
215,399,000
0.05%
Agra
11
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: 1