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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | NGOs express concern over declining sex ratio by Aarti Dhar

NGOs express concern over declining sex ratio by Aarti Dhar

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published Published on May 2, 2011   modified Modified on May 2, 2011
Child sex-ratio dropped to 914 in 2011 from 927 in 2001

Call for better implementation of PCPNDT Act

Expressing concern over the declining child sex ratio as indicated in the provisional figures of the Census 2011, civil society groups have asked the Centre to take cognisance of the increasing challenges in this area of sex selection and undertake urgent measures to overcome these.

As per the figures, the child sex-ratio has further dropped to 914 from 927 in 2001, registering a decline of 13 points.

Arduous struggle

“We recognise that the struggle against sex selection has been very long and arduous. While a host of socio-cultural attitudes and behaviours, precipitated by economic factors, is culminating in a skewed ratio, emerging technologies have also made sex selection easier, and sex determination and sex selective abortions remain rampant across the country,” Sama Resource Group for Women and Health and Jan Swasthya Abhiyan — a group of non-governmental organisations working in the field of women's health — have said in a memorandum submitted to Union Minister Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad.

“Moreover, the ‘two-child' norm [prevalent in many States] along with rising economic aspirations has resulted in the persistence of age old practices. This intersection of commerce, technology and social devaluation of girls and women have no doubt resulted in heightened manifestations of the existing gender inequality and the negative social worth of women, strikingly apparent in the recent spate of honour killings and greater demands for dowry,” the memorandum says.

Act ineffective

While the State, along with civil society movements, have fought against this on several levels, and have been crucial in formulating the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, that came into force in 1994, its implementation over the last decade or so has been largely ineffective. Although a holistic legislation on paper, a lack of political will and inadequate implementation has rendered this Act toothless in practice, the women's group said. Moreover, in its current form, the Act is unable to address the urgent need for regulation amongst ‘newer' reproductive technologies, with potential use for sex pre-selection.

Suggesting activation of the defunct State Supervisory Boards to oversee the implementation of the Act in all States, the memorandum suggests that the Board ensure appropriate authorities under the Act are established and functional.

Participation of civil society in the meetings of the Advisory Committee and stringent and transparent selection of members for this committee to ensure no conflicts of interest are other measures suggested in the memorandum.

The Hindu, 2 May, 2011, http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/02/stories/2011050262360700.htm


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