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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Girl-boy disparities, a sad truth! by Payal Gwalani

Girl-boy disparities, a sad truth! by Payal Gwalani

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published Published on Apr 2, 2011   modified Modified on Apr 2, 2011
Census data released on Thursday has brought some cheer with the revelation that the population growth has finally slowed down in India. Yet, it also pointed towards an alarming fact that the sex ratio in the age group between 0-6 has fallen.

Even though, the people claim that they no longer differentiate between male and female offspring, doctors have a sorry tale to narrate.

Homemaker, Sangita Acharya said that her five-year-old daughter, Pranjali is as much a source of delight for her as her 2-year-old son, Ednesh. "In fact, we consider Pranjali our good luck charm as she is our Laxmi. Nowadays, many examples can be seen where it is the daughter who takes better care of her parents when they really need it. I don't think many people make disparities between a son and a daughter these days," she said.

But this is not all true. According to the doctors, the social perceptions have not changed much over the years. "Social perceptions remain the same. Even today, I see parents who distribute sweets and celebrate the birth of a male child, but are not too enthused by the birth of a daughter," said Dr Archana Upadhyay, a gynaecologist. She also informed that even the prosperous families sometimes wish to be informed the gender of the foetus, despite sex determination being illegal. "Not everybody asks due to curiosity," she added.

Banker, Pradnya Deo, a proud mother of a three-month-old baby girl, though said that it is due to practices like dowry that some people fear having a daughter. Speaking about the current social scenario, she said "Another factor is security. A girl is not safe anywhere today. Instances like Monica murder case reiterate and strengthen this fear in parents. If something could be done in this regard, perhaps parents would not be afraid of bearing a girl child."

"The scenario has changed only a bit. Fifteen years ago, I have seen women crying because they have delivered girls. That does not happen now. In fact, many families actually welcome their daughters," said Dr Chaitanya Shembhekar, who runs an infertility clinic.

The picture is further darkened by Dr J I Fidvi, Head of the Gynaecology department at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH). "The typical Indian thinking that a boy would further the name of one's clan is still deeply embedded in the psyche of the patients I see," he declared.

Dr Fidvi said that he still sees women who go on trying to bear a child until she gets a male child. Speaking about the efforts made on a personal basis, he said, "Despite our team trying to counsel them by giving several inspiring examples, they do not pay heed to our advice. I even tell them to have a look at my all-female team in order to make them realize of the changed social realities, but it seldom helps."

The Times of India, 2 April, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Girl-boy-disparities-a-sad-truth/articleshow/7847230.cms


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