The child sex ratio in India has declined dramatically from 962 females per 1000 males in 1981 to 914 in 2011 according to the most recent census. This decline is alarming and is due to factors like son preference, female feticide, and social attitudes that view daughters as a burden. Efforts are needed to change perceptions and prevent sex determination tests in order to save the girl child and achieve a balanced population. Legal initiatives have been implemented but more action is still required to properly address this issue.

1. Alarming Sex Ratio in India
Dr Nilima Sonawane
Principal
Institute of Nursing Education, Mumbai, India

2. What is Sex Ratio
• Sex ratio, defined, as the number of
females per thousand males, is
an important social indicator to
measure the extent of prevailing
equality between males and females
in a society at a given point of time.

3. Child Sex Ratio
• The Child Sex Ratio is defined as the number
of females per 1000 males in the age group 0–
6 years. In the census 2001 the child sex ratio
of India was 927 which declined to 919 in the
census 2011.
• The sex ratio is a measure that compares the
number of women and men in a particular
population group.

5. Sex ratio in India
Decline in child ratio from 962 in
1981 to 914 in 2011 has
somewhat activated to
political, legal and administrative
set up of the country.
However the Census findings
should now be converted into a
tangible action plan to help the
cause of the girl child.

7. Sex ratio trends in India

9. Child sex ratio in Maharashtra

11. Reasons of such declination
• Female Foeticide
• Son Preference & Daughter
Aversion
• Post Birth Sex Selection
• Social Attitude & Perceptions
• Lack of education & Awareness
• Demographic
• Commercial
• Logical

12. SON PREFERENCE AND DAUGHTER AVERSION
• Economic progress has not necessarily
changed the
• traditions of gender discrimination
• - dowry
• - family name
• - property
• - last rites
• - old-age support
• • Balance between
• home chores & office
• Work.

13. SOCIAL
ATTITUDES

14. WHAT IS FEMALE FETICIDE?
• It is defined as aborting a female
foetus after sex determination test.
• Ultra-sonography and Foetoscopy
helps determine abnormalities in the
fetus. But it is misused to find out
sex of the fetus and abortion is done
if it is a girl.

15. CAUSES OF FEMALE FETICIDE
• Obsession for Son.
• Fear of dowry by many poor class families.
• Girls are considered as financial obligation
by many parents.
• Advancement in technology , nowadays
parent determines the sex of a child
before birth.
• Some of the doctors do this heinous act to
fulfill their money desire.

16. Causes for female foeticide and
infanticide
Poverty
Gender discrimination
Lack of education
Traditional practices
Future speculation education , marriage and
dowry
Women's are views as a liability

17. SPERM SORTING

18. Amniocentesis

19. Chorionic Villus Biopsy

20. Why
to Save
A Girl Child
- Importance?

21. Prevention
Empower
Girl
Child to
Reduce
Social
Prejudices

22. Say "YES"
to Girl Child

23. Stop
Prenatal Sex
determination
Test

24. Please Don't KILL me......
STOP_KILLing female fetus

25. • You Really
• Don't
• Know,
• How
• Important
• Girl
• is?

26. One thing is clear - the imbalance that
has set at the early age - group is
difficult to be remove and would
remain to haunt the population for a
long time to come.

27. Badly skewed sex ratio forces Gurjjars
of Rajasthan to share wife in the family

28. Consequences of female foeticide
• Decrease in the female population.
• Adverse effect on women's health
physically , mentally and
emotionally.
• Women are abused and sexually
exploited.
• Leads to women trafficking . Women
are kidnapped , bought and sold for
marriage.
• Suicide rates in women will increase .

29. Our daughter
is the knot
that ties
the family
Together

30. A
Daughter
is one of
the most
Beautiful
Gifts
this world has
to give

31. Legal Initiative
• The Prenatal Diagnostic Test Act
(PNDT Act)
• The Medical Termination Of
Pregnancy Act
• The Dowry Prohibition Ac

32. •Ranking The World's 100
•Most Powerful Women
•2013

34. Conclusion
 After three decades of Women in Development
and Gender and Development policies the
work of redressing gender inequalities has only
just begun.
 Attitudes of people towards a girl child should
be changed.
 Furthermore, it will help to create the balance
in the population / Society
 One thing is clear- the imbalance that has set
at the early age-group is difficult to be
removed and would remain to haunt the
population for a long