September 2004

Sep.24 is the Girl Child Day. At precisely 11 a.m that day, thousands of students from select colleges in Mumbai will stand up and observe a two minute silence to mourn the loss of all the girl children who were not allowed to be born because their parents opted for sex-selective abortions.

Mumbai, a city known for its affluence, modernity and opportunities for all, has a shameful sex ratio. According to the 2001 census figures, Mumbai city has 898 girls per 1,000 boys in the age group 0-6 years, a rank of 473 out of India 's 593 districts. Mumbai Suburban district has 919 girls for every 1,000 boys in the age group 0-6 years, and ranks 420 in the country 's districts. The world average for the total population [not 0-6 age group] is 990 females per 1,000 males [Source: The World At Six Billion, Table 23, 101 males per 100 females = 990 females/1,000 males] [ http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/sixbillion/sixbilpart4.pdf]

'The Hindu' newspaper reported: "According to the Census Commissioner: `It is interesting to note that sex ratio in the US, Indonesia, Russian Federation and Japan has always remained above unity for the last half of a century... In the US, it has shown an improvement from 1002 to 1029 in the last 50 years. Bangladesh has shown a continuous improvement in its sex ratio from 880 in 1950 to 953 in 2000. Pakistan and China have also shown an improvement. Thus, among the major nations of the world, India is the only exception'.'' [Full article at http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/businessline/2001/08/14/stories/041420ru.htm] [Sex Ratio for select countries in Statement 17 at http://www.censusindia.net/data/chapter6.pdf]

While the Pre Natal Diagnostics Techniques Act and its amendment in 2002 have ensured that administrative mechanisms are put in place and stringent deterrent action is taken against the culprits, its implementation depends largely on changing mindsets that place a higher social value on a boy than a girls.

We need to initiate a dialogue with people and move the issue from the private domain to the public domain. Every citizen has a right to intervene and a responsibility to stop if he/she finds that the illegal act of prenatal sex determination is being done with an intention to abort a female foetus.

Our first influencers are the youth, not only because by sensitising them we would be stopping the practice in coming years, but also because they are capable of challenging dominant beliefs and behaviour patterns. Also, the hold the youth have on the older generations cannot be over emphasised.

After a two minute silence, the students will take a pledge that explains where the girls went missing and will commit themselves to fight this crime.

The pledge reads:

"The sex of our children is not a matter for human manipulation.

"I, __________________[Name of the person taking the pledge], pledge that I will not do anything to determine the sex of a child to be born, and never consent to an abortion on the basis of such knowledge.

"I, __________________[Name of the person taking the pledge], record my protest against people who illegally seek and medical professionals who illegally help deliver this knowledge, which is often used to abort a female foetus and so results in far fewer girls in society than ordained by nature."

In taking the pledge, the students of Mumbai will, each in their own college, signal the launch of a new campaign led by POPULATION FIRST and supported by UNFPA, UNICEF and MAHINDRA GROUP against sex selective abortion in India, and particularly in Mumbai. The effort is titled "Laadli - Mumbai's Girl Child Initiative." 'Laadli' is Hindi for darling and is often used to refer to a girl child who is brought up affectionately and is cherished .

The students will not be the only ones committing themselves against sex selective abortions.

Later in the day, the same pledge will be taken by some 100 delegates at a consultative meeting called to discuss and build a campaign against sex selective abortions.

The consultative meeting will be held at the Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan auditorium in South Mumbai. Click here for schedule

Among those participating in the conference will be representatives from government departments, development journalists and members from civil society institutions. The conference will be inaugurated by Dr.J J Irani, Director of Tata Sons Limited and a senior industry leader who has often lent his support to development and population related issues. The conference will be Chaired by Ms. Anna Dani, Principal Secretary(Family Walfare), Public Health Department, Government of Maharashtra.

The objective of the conference is, among others, to evolve a consensus on the need to address the issue in the city and to identify ways and means in which various agencies can get involved in the campaign. The strategy of the campaign would be finalised based on the deliberations and subsequent meeting with different agencies. We wish to make every citizen of Mumbai feel personally responsible for the campaign.

If you wish to attend or join in, and seek an invitation to the conference, please click here to send us a message. An invitation cannot be guaranteed at this stage, but we'll make every effort to accommodate all sections and invite as many as we can accommodate. In any case, we encourage you to take the pledge yourself and enroll as many others as you can to take the pledge as given hereinabove. If possible, you may collect a group, which may then stand up at a pre appointed place and time and jointly take the pledge to join in the fight against sex selective abortions. Information and resources are listed at other links to this newsletter. You may do this on any day, and possibly arrange the pledge to be taken in such a manner that awareness of the issue spreads to a large group.

Apart from initiating a campaign that will seek to fight and eventually stop sex selective abortions in Mumbai, the September 24 conference will also build a model that can be followed by various stakeholder groups across the country to fight the practice in their respective field areas.

Union Family Walfare Secretary Speaks...

The following is the full text of an appeal issued by India's top most health official and published in the Journal of the Indian Medical Association [ http://www.jimaonline.org/december2003/dec2003appeal.htm ]

In the appeal, Mr.Hota calls The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act 1994 "a somewhat unique legislation in that the duty of primary enforcement of the Act rests upon members of the medical fraternity itself."

Here is the full text of the appeal as published in the journal:

An Appeal

By Prasanna Hota
Secretary,
Department of Family Welfare,
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,
Govenrment of India.

Dear Friend,

Let me begin by congratulating the Indian Medical Association for bringing out a special issue on this serious contemporary problem.

You are no doubt aware that the results of Census 2001 have revealed that child sex ratio (number of females per thousand males) in the age group of 0-6 years has declined from 945 in 1991 to 927 in 2001. This is a matter of acute concern and embarrassment, and in fact shame, for all of us. Detailed analysis has revealed that a significant part of this decline would be due to selective abortions of female foetuses. In recent years there has been increasing misuse of ultrasound machines for finding out the sex of foetus of pregnant woman with the objective of aborting the foetus, if it is a female. Other techniques are now being used for pre-conception sex selection also.

The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act 1994 was enacted in an attempt to reduce the imbalance in sex ratio. It has recently been amended to make its provisions more comprehensive. Its implementation has however not received the success it deserves, and needs. Hence, sex selective abortions have today become the most significant reason for the imbalanced sex ratio. This imbalance would have dangerous consequences for the very fabric of out society.

The PNDT Act is a somewhat unique legislation in that the duty of primary enforcement of the Act rests upon members of the medical fraternity itself. The Appropriate Authority is the most important functionary under the Act, and all across the country Chief Medical Officers have been declared as the Appropriate Authorities. This is in view of the trust and confidence placed in the medical community by the government, and society in general. Corresponding to this, your profession has the sacred duty to uphold this trust. However you would agree that this trust has generally not been vindicated. It is my firm belief that besides being a criminal offence, pre-natal sex determination and consequent abortion of female foetus are not only a gross misuse of medical technology, but are also a contravention of medical ethics and a violation of the Hippocratic oath. This has not deterred a disappointingly large number of doctors from the temptation to make quick, though ill-gotten, gains. Regrettably, very often even doctors who know about the illegal practices of their colleagues chose to remain silent. It is everybody's duty to expose those who carry on such corrupt, unethical practices. Professional and social affinity should not be allowed to cloud our better judgment. Further, the unfortunate fact that there is a demand for such services cannot be used to condone serious malpractices.

All sections of society have to come forward and shoulder the responsibility of eradicating the evil practices of identification of sex of foetus, female foeticide and pre-conception sex selection. However the medical fraternity has a particularly onerous responsibility. The time has come for all the medical practitioners and others concerned to take a firm stand against female foeticide. We should not only regulate ourselves but should also work as a watch dog against all those indulging in unlawful and unethical practices like identification of sex of foetus, abortions of female foetus, pre-conception sex selection, etc. The Indian Medical Association and other professinal bodies have an important role to play in this regard, in unearthing and censuring their errant colleagues.

I am confident that you, and your colleagues, will not fail the people's trust.

With warm regards,