FEMALE FOETICIDE AND INFANTICIDE IN INDIA

ABSTRACT

Female foeticide is the termination of a female foetus inside the womb of a woman through unfair means for some cultural myths or societal reasons. It has now become a social vulnerability of global significance in this era of ultrasound technology and capitalist modernity. Similarly, Female infanticide, another form of sex-selective murder, is the deliberate killing of newborn female children. Poverty, the dowry system, births to unmarried women, deformed infants, famine, lack of support services and maternal illnesses such as postpartum depression are among the causes that have been proposed to explain the phenomenon of female infanticide in India. These discriminatory malpractices can be removed by adopting a number of procedures like by defining a strong ethical code for the doctors, empowering women, adopting effective complaint registration system & developing awareness programmes. Awareness about the importance of girl child in the society is a major weapon to get relief from the female foeticide and infanticide. This paper attracts attention to the growing menace of feminine foeticide and infanticide in Indian subcontinent, which has led to skewed sex ratio in the country. The extent causes and effects of this menace are been explored at length using data obtained from Crime in India Report. The paper underscores the requirement for social, economic and legal reforms to safeguard the feminine foetus from illegal abortion and to safeguard the human rights of the female child. It is important to note that until and unless this nuisance is prohibited, the country is directing towards a disastrous gender imbalance, which in turn would affect the economic progress of the nation.

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