Ending the Tragedy of Female Foeticide and Infanticide

Female Foeticide
female foeticide/ infanticide
The term female foeticide means killing the female foetus in the mother's womb. How cruel? The practice has been followed in India for ages, a
country that once described its women as godessess. For this reason, Indian women will soon get extinct. Surprised? The most active part is being
played by the women themselves –– why? Just for the mere want of a boy, mothers don't feel bad in strangulating their daughters in their wombs. Can
anyone be more cruel? In India, sex ratio stands at a paltry 933:1000, i.e., 67 women short of every 1,000 males. Can you imagine how bad the
situation is –– in the coming times, the boys of this country will have to stand single because there will be no girls. However, ever...show more content...
Importance
National Girl Child Day – The Voice of Tomorrow
Forty Six years ago, on January 24, India got her First Lady Prime Minister – Mrs. Indira Gandhi. The nation of male dominance stood standstill in the
awe of the power of this one lady whose determination spoke volumes. Today, India stands high in the race of urbanization but in the genre of social
development, it is away behind. It is an irony in this country that where mother is worshipped as Mother Divine, there is domestic violence. In a
country where 'Kumari Puja' is done, there is female foeticide.
It is in this need to raise public awareness, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government declared to observe January 24 as the 'National Girl
Child Day' in 2009. "This day will be celebrated every year till there is a gender balance in the country and till the time we match the required sex
ratio," said Renuka Chowdhury, then Minister of State for Women and Child Development1.
According to a United Nations survey in 2007, about 2000 unborn girls are illegally aborted each day in India. The national average of sex ratio is
927 females to 1000 males with states like Punjab (799) and Delhi (850) being the worst2. With this fearing declining rate, the gender gap seems
difficult to be achieved. The importance of the Girl Child should be on the national agenda for nation building and the
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The Problem Of Female Foeticide Essay
Where– We decided to touch India as there are a lot of cases coming from there and how these cases are dealt. Sometimes the police doesnвЂџt even
help because they also have conservative thoughts and that is why many girls cannot stand up for their rights and freedom. Or in other manners,
the case is that they are scared as to what would people say and how they would blame them. What the society thinks is always one of the major
problems in India. In some places of India, the society looks down on those girls that stand up for their rights and they are told that you are a girl, so
your work is only in the kitchen and looking after your husband. Well we believe that all have the right to work if they want to and most importantly,
all have the right to seek education which only some are able to receive.
What– What we decided to do was to take a stand for those that are having to face the crisis of Female Foeticide. It is one of the worst cases of
gender inequality. We believe that all humans are equal and they should not be killed for being different or because of their gender. Female Foeticide
is against many of the human rights and that is why there are quite a lot of charities around the country that are running for those in need. There are
many NGOвЂџs that are around India with their supportive and caring staff to help those women and girls that are having to face this kind of
discrimination.
Who– The girls of India need justice and they are unaware of their basic human

Infanticide is not unique to humans. It is practiced by many mammals including some primates. The main difference between human and animal
infanticide is that infanticide in humans is performed by the parent(s) of the child while in the case of animals it is usually a male suitor (Caldwell
and Caldwell, 2005, p. 208). In pre–modern societies infanticide was done instead of abortions as it allowed for sexual selection, it was much more
effective than pre–modern contraception, and it did not require any special skills or esoteric knowledge (Caldwell and Caldwell,2005, p. 205).
Infanticide has a history as a method of population control. It is more frequent to throw away girl babies. This may be because of dowries or other
cultural reasons....show more content...
101). In one study by D'Orban, it was shown that 26% of 89 infanticide cases involved mental illness. (Porter and Gavin, 2010, p. 101). Other reasons
for infanticide include an unwanted infant, revenge against the father, and financial reasons. Culture is a foremost determinant of resource availability
which has a direct effect on infanticide numbers. Cultural factors play a role in isolation and lack of kin support, relationship difficulties and a lack
of paternal support and a lack of resources (Kunst and Reed, 1999, p. 154). Infanticide is higher when women do not have economic resources or the
support of the father. Evolutionary theories propose that when resources are limited, the parents and other children are more likely to survive without
the newborn infant. A young mother has potential to replace this infant at more economically convenient time (Friedman et al, 2012, p. 591). A
common reason given for infanticide in Bolivia is that there is "not enough land" or that the mother has "too many children" (C. de Hilari et al, 2009,
p. 356). Studies have shown women who kill their newborns are usually under 25, immature, unmarried and often uninvolved with the father, and either
unemployed or in school (Porter & Gavin, 2010, p. 100). The burden of an infant may be too much when the woman does not have financial support or
financial independence. In cultures where women

Female Selective Abortion And Infanticide
There is a crisis in Asia, a problem centuries old and still happening. This problem is missing girls, but not in a traditional sense. These girls either
never make it into the world or live horrible short lives before dying at the hands of their parents. This problem is female selective abortion and
infanticide. This problem has taken roots in the two largest countries on earth population wise, India and China. Many solutions to the problem
have been posed over the years and a few of them might work. India is one of the worst countries to live in as a woman. It is one of the strongest
male dominated societies. They rely on the patriarchy to support their way of life and rural women internalize their roles from birth and fear
having a daughter. There are many causes of infanticide in India, the three main causes are social, economic, and historical. The social causes
range from family pressure for a male offspring to the stigma against females in general. It is seen in all of the castes and in urban as well as rural
regions. On average female children are neglected more than their male counterparts. For example 71% of female toddlers are malnourished
compared to 28% of males. Also males go to the hospital twice as often as females ("Female Infanticide in India and China). A male infant will be
taken to the hospital for even just a cough, whereas a female will be left untreated with diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis for the reason that
women are expendable in

Infanticide Essay
In Warren's article concerning infanticide and her view on the issue, she makes it clear to make a distinct separation from her stance regarding abortion
since people have thought that her article on abortion led to a similar belief about infanticide. Because abortion and infanticide are so closely related,
Warren wanted to discuss how they should be treated as morally different situations. She explains that infanticide is not the same asabortion, since the
fetus has already been born. Thus, once the infant is born, it no longer is violating any rights against the mother since she does not have the physical
connection to the baby as she did when it was inside of her. The baby would not technically need its birth–mother to survive if she...show more content...
In the online story, the issue of apathy regarding abortion is focused on by the author, saying that too many people lack sympathy for both
"survivors" of abortion, botched abortions, as well as the fetuses that are aborted and have had their organs "harvested" and sold. The article includes
quotes from two women that survived attempted abortion procedures, which incline readers to sympathize with them as well as be more open to their
beliefs regarding abortion since they have a direct connection to it. This emotional draw is used with seemingly true facts plus a religious push that
together make a compelling reason to believe abortion is immoral. Throughout the article, it mentions the "harvesting" and selling of fetal organs, in
this case a brain, but the author makes it seem like centers that perform abortion, such as Planned Parenthood, do so in order to only make simply
make a profit in order to benefit themselves – however, this is not the case as I learned by researching the topic. Planned Parenthood states that they
only extract fetal tissue "with full, appropriate consent from patients and under the highest ethical and legal standards. There is no financial benefit for
tissue donation for either the patient or for Planned Parenthood" (Levitan, 2015). They do not sell fetal organs in order to make money, if that were
true, surely

Infanticide In The Woman Warrior
A horrific taboo occurs twice in the novel The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston, infanticide.
Infanticide is the act of murdering an infant, specifically the person's own child. When this situation occurs in the writing, there is a different
significance to Chinese culture than the other. What is the context behind this cruel act in Kingston's book about tieing ancient Chinese tales with her
own life? Both times infanticide is brought up a powerful emotion develops in the reader, such as grief or anger. The main purpose of infanticide in the
novel is to force the reader to think what is right and wrong. The first time infanticide appears is in the first section of the book titled No Name
Woman. Kingston's...show more content...
The section titled Shamen is about Brave Orchid's journey to become a midwife and her very different life in China. She once mentioned to Kingston
the story of one particular baby that was born with something missing, "One child born without an anus was left in the outhouse so that the family
would not have to hear it cry" (101). This is a case of infanticide that could not be stopped. A baby born without an anus, especially in the 1930s,
generally has no hope of surviving. The parents left it in the outhouse so they would not have to hear it crying and suffering. Nonetheless, it is said
that the baby lasted a long time, breathing as if it was trying to defecate for almost a week. While this infant was doomed from the second it was born,
it fought to survive and lasted much longer than what the family and Brave Orchid expected. The substance behind this infanticide is to demonstrate
that even the ill–fated are still able to fight for survival. The baby beat the odds of living only a day, much like how females in China, such as the
warrior Mu Lan can prove that they can do more than cook and clean. Although, maybe the parents should have tried to help the infant instead of leave
it outside and soothe it through it's

Research Paper On Female Infanticide
Index Topic
1) Rationale
2) Introduction
3) What is Female Infanticide/Gendercide?
4) Female Infanticide why does it happen?
5) Types of Female Infanticide
6) Origins of Female Infanticide
6) Female Infanticide around the World
7) Statistics
8) How is Female Infanticide being solved?
9) Possible Solution For Female Infanticide...show more content...
Global Perspective
All over the world Female Infanticide is a cruel and sinuous act. Every child deserves a chance to live and experience life. Female Infanticide also
goes against the women's right to freedom and gender equality. In a global view of Female Infanticide, Female Infanticide should be reduced before it
is too late.
National Perspective
Living in a country with very low or no Female Infanticide cases. There is not much public debate on this issue. Singapore focuses a lot on gender
equality and has strict laws against such issues. And if such issues occur in the future I hope it a solution is found for it immediately.
Local Perspective Our community thinks that Female Infanticide will be a massive problem in the future. If the right actions are taken now the right
solutions are provided it might decrease and Female Infanticide will and can be slowly avoided.

Female Foeticide And Its Effects On Women
Assuming there should be even numbers of males and females in the human population, there are 150 million women missing, which is greater than
the sum of all deaths from every civil conflict and genocide of the 20th century(The Village). This may possibly be the biggest human rights crisis
ever, yet nobody knows about it(The Village). Female foeticide and infanticide are the main perpetrators of this injustice. Female foeticide is the
sex–selective abortion of girls in the womb, while female infanticide is the sex–selective homicide of an infant under one year of age(Chawla). This
heinous and cruel murdering of female fetuses and infants is rampant in India, China, and North Korea; however, the Compassion organization helps
save the lives of many young girls through programs such as Mercy, one of their Child Survival Programs.
Female foeticide and infanticide are responsible for most deaths of these unborn or infant girls. Female foeticide is accountable for 12 million
aborted female fetuses in India alone over the past 30 years(Pandey). In 2006, in Pantran, state of Punjab, India, the remains of 50 female fetuses
were found in the backyard of the local hospital(The Village). Most villagers were aware that there were less babies going out than pregnant women
coming in; however, nobody cared. The government finally got involved, but none of the officials took action(The Village). In the same town, one
lady shared that 32 female fetuses were found in one well and 128 in

The Pros And Cons Of Infanticide
As of now, I don't believe interfering with the natural process would be beneficial to our future. It plays with natural selection and genetic variation
among any species is important to its survival and development. It could be potentially harmful to the development of the child and the mother
undergoing a procedure in the early stages. Let alone, the sociological affects it would have by implying that one sex is preferable to the other. It
could help lower the numbers among infanticide, however more issues would arise. Some countries are extremely bias towards one sex (usually
males), which could dramatically affect the balance of males and females. If you want to be a parent then you have to deal with what actually being a
parent means––loving

Essay about Infanticide
Despite the clear prohibitions against child–murder by all major religions, female infanticide has been for centuries a prominent and socially
acceptable event, notably in one of the most populous countries in this world, India. Even today, the extent of the problem is measured in alarming
proportions all around the globe: "at least 60 million females in Asia are missing and feared dead, victims of nothing more than their sex.
Worldwide, research suggests, the number of missing females may top 100 million." The data is more astounding in India. According to the Census
Report of 2001, for every 1000 males the number of females has decreased to 927 in 2001 from 945 in 1991 and continues to decrease. It is clear that
the burdensome costs...show more content...
While India has tried many approaches to limiting family sizes, this democratically governed country has not enforced strict limits as China has. Family
planning has proceeded chiefly through education and health programs, which are effective but which break down traditions slowly.
India is an extremely conservative and patriarchal society. In this society, women are considered inferior to men in all regards. In most families, the
first child is usually welcomed– with joy if it a boy, with sad acceptance if it is a girl. Females are unwanted at birth, ill–treated as infants, and not
educated in childhood. Be as it may, preference for the male child is mainly dominant as it is related to the age–old Hindu myth that states, "a person's
soul is liberated only when a son performs the last death rites". (Dr. Madhumita Das, The Quest for a Male Child). In other words, the birth of a
son assures the passage to heaven. The bias against females in India also relates to the fact that "Sons are called upon to provide the income;
they are the ones who do most of the work in the fields. In this way, sons are looked to as a type of insurance. With this perspective, it becomes
clearer that the high value given to males decreases the value given to females." (Marina Porras, Female Infanticide and Foeticide.)
Since prehistoric times, the supply of food has been a constant check on human population growth. One way to control the lethal effects of starvation
was to

Female Infanticide Should Not Be Legal
Female infanticide is the killing of a female baby out of the womb. In the past they would strangle the infant girls after birth. It is not justifiable for
mothers to have to make the decision to kill their kid. Female Infanticide should not be legal due to the fact that innocent children lose their lives, the
family loses their child, the ratio of girls to boys is unequal – ethically it is not right!
A "person" is a living entity with the inherent, internal capacity to develop reason and choice. Biologically, there is only one generic class of human
beings: everyone from conception until death. If human beings are persons then, prima facie, all human beings, born and preborn are persons too. If the
purely biological fact of birth is what transforms non persons into person, then what about nonhuman mammals? No one pretends that their mere birth
transforms them into persons. Being human is what makes you a person (McElroy – page 1).
Female infanticide is not easily talked about. Female infanticide and sex–selective abortion in India have been the subject of much attention in recent
years. Many people believe that in ancient Indian traditions, female infanticide is to

Infanticide Research Paper
In conclusion, infanticide can be portrayed as a major source of mortality, there is a belief that can affect parenting behaviors in primate's social
systems. Despite the utilitarian importance, if infanticide is likely in specific circumstances and if a specific conduct minimizes their event, there is a
desire to support this conduct. The idea remains controversial for primates; however, data collected shows that killing babies can have a benefit for the
primate's evolutionary advantage.

Female Infanticide and Foeticide Essay
Female Infanticide and Foeticide
It is regrettable that female infanticide and foeticide are rapidly decreasing the female population throughout India. The main factors that is responsible
for the increase in the incidence of female infanticide and foeticide is the low status of women, son preference, and the practice of dowry across all
casts groups.
The low status of women and girls is due to cultural beliefs and the material cost they represent to their families. Vanaja Dhruvarajan says that there is
a belief regarding the nature of men and women: "Men are ritually pure, physically strong, and emotionally mature; women, on the other hand, are
ritually pollutable, physically weak, and lack strong willpower" (30). Because of these...show more content...
Overall, girls get poorer education than boys, and become less aware of the world around them. Therefore, they become dependent on men, whether it
is the father, the husband or the son.
The preference for male children is due to three major reasons. One is the economic value of having sons. Sons are more likely than daughters to
provide family labour on the farm or in a family business, earn wages, and support their parents during old age. Upon marriage, a son brings a
daughter–in–law into his family, and she provides additional help around the house as well as she brings riches in the form of dowry payments.
Another important advantage of having sons is their social cultural utility. In India patriarchal family system, having one son is essential for the
continuation of the family line, and many sons provide high status to the family. Vanaja Dhruvarajan says, "When a women becomes a mother,
especially the mother of a son, her status goes up in her new home for having helped perpetuate the family" (87) Finally, the utility of having sons
comes from the important religious functions that only sons can provide. In Hindu tradition, sons are needed to do the funeral of their deceased parents
and to help in the salvation of their souls.
Daughters are considered to be an economic problem to her parents mainly because of the heavy dowry payment demanded by the groom's family, as
well as the high cost of the wedding,

Femicide: A Cause for Global Economic Concern?
Femicide: A Cause for Global Economic Concern?
The definition of femicide is the killing of women and girls because of their gender; it may include methods of torture, mutilation, cruelty and sexual
violence. Due to deep cultural traditions and premonitions, many nations– particularly third world countries– are facing a future where the sighting of
a female in the community will be a rarity. In the past femicide has been closely associated with the ongoing gender based foeticide in India and China;
however, fairly recently it has been realised that it is not an issue solely restricted to India and China rather a global issue with current instances being
reported in regions of Europe, Central and South America. As a result of the brutal nature of many of the killings and the extensive research done by
Non Governmental Organisations "Violence against women has come out from under the rug and society now sees it as a reality and not something that
people have invented." After decades of silence it has finally been brought to the attention of the world that the cultural objectification of women during
both the past and the present has consequently led female genocide [femicide], previously thought to be an issue solely restricted to the nations of India
and China, to spread its roots into the cultures of countries such as Mexico and Italy and, as a result of this, cause drastic changes in the social and
consequently the economic growth of the affected countries.
A region that

Female Infanticide
Imagine a world with no women. There as no wives, no sisters, no daughters, and no mothers. Unfortunately this world is on the brink of becoming a
scary reality for Asian countries such as China and India. Due to attempts to control population and the low value associated with females in these
societies historically and culturally, both China and India are now facing a serious gender imbalance. Female infanticide and sex–selective abortion are
responsible for this gender imbalance. The two atrocious practices have led to problems such as elevated rates in female kidnapping and slave trade,
as well as forced marriages. This paper will focus on the roots of female infanticide and sex–selective abortions as well as the problems these...show
more content...
In the countryside, less than half a million out of a total rural population of eight hundred million were receiving pensions in 1981. Individuals and
families who live in rural areas rely on their off spring to be part of their working staff. If such families are only allowed to have one child, they
much prefer to have males because they believe they are of more use for jobs that require physical labor. (Hong, 1987) If a Chinese family who is
not secure financially does indeed have a daughter than she will most likely not marry, Hong explains. "For economic reasons, families with
daughters are unlikely to let them go to grooms villages to live because they will be needed not only for the parents old age security but also to boost
the life– long earning potential of the household." (Hong 1987 pg. 320)
In Chinese culture, it is said, "a woman's greatest duty is to have a son." If a woman does not give birth to a son, her husband will often take
another wife in hopes of another woman carrying his heir (Hvistendahl 2008). Women are viewed as so inferior, that often, poor families would sell
their daughters as servants to rich families. Despite the egalitarian nature of Chinese society, many parents believe that having a son is a vital element
of providing for their old age. When a daughter is married off, she is no longer

Infanticide Essay
In the Merriam Webster dictionary, infanticide is a term described as the act of killing an infant. Other sources describe it as the act of killing one's
own child, or killing of a child less than 12 months old. Female infanticide is more common than the killing of male offspring. More often than not, it
is the mother who does the killing.
Infanticide has been recorded as far back as the ancient world, where they would abandon the infant by leaving it die to die of hunger, thirst, animal
attack, or hypothermia. In some cultures they would drown the infants, and some used infants as sacrifices. Carthagians would sacrifice their infants to
gods. Charred remains have been found in Charthagian archeological sites. Approximately 20,000...show more content...
Infanticide was rare and not socially accepted by the Jews.
Some early Christians practiced infanticide by exposing unwanted female infants. Church fathers warned against this because they believed that
children that were exposed were more likely to be victims of incest and/or become prostitutes. In turn, they warned against having sex with prostitutes
because they believed that it may result in a father having sex with one of his own children. However for Christians, as with the Jews, it was
considered a criminal act.
Female infanticide has been accepted for centuries in many countries, and is more prominent in India and China than in any other countries around
the world. It is illegal in India, however it is reported by Unicef that up to 50 million girls and women are "missing" in India as a result of systemic sex
discrimination.
Infanticide occurs mostly in the poor, rural populations of India. Males are considered to be a source of income, and daughters are believed to cause
economic burdens because of the high cost of weddings and dowries. Weddings can be very cost prohibitive in India. The average income is
approximately $3500 per year–in U.S. dollars, and the average wedding costs on average is $35,000 (U.S. dollars). More and more common are the
murders of women due to the fact that their dowry has not been paid.
In India, the use of ultrasound during pregnancy has

A Study On Female Infanticide
I–Search Paper
By Sivel Van Zee
April 13, 2015
FEMALE INFANTICIDE
I remember coming home from school one day and my mom handing me a flyer. I didn't think much of it until I saw the large, bold lettering on the
top. The words read, "IT'S A GIRL." Normally that phrase was treated as a joyous occasion, but the font and serious theme of the flyer made me
think otherwise. I continued to read and became more disturbed by the subject the flyer was discussing. My stomach tied into one large knot and I
became physically sickened by the flyer. It spoke of horrible events occurring in the lives of females around the world and particularly tiny, newborn
girls. This both disgusted me and sparked something inside of me. I didn't understand why anyone would treat a precious baby like that, but I was
determined to find out.
My first reaction was to take out my phone and find out exactly what the flyer was discussing. The definition came up as follows: "Female
infanticide is the deliberate killing of newborn female children or the termination of a female fetus through selective abortion." I had of course heard
of abortion before. The idea of wanting an abortion only if the baby was a female was new to me. I couldn't fathom a mother ridding herself of a child
simply because it was a girl.
Immediately I racked my mind for ways that I could learn more about it. I had so many questions concerning the awful treatment. My first idea was to
look into a church presentation that I remembered being

Eskimos are a nomadic people that occasionally kill their young, especially girls, for the preservation of their way of life. They do not have room to
carry a lot of kids and if there are no families that are willing to adopt the "surplus" children, Eskimos leave the infants out in the snow to die (EMP,
15). This is justified from their perspective because the men have a higher rate of dying as the ones who go out to hunt and if they let all the female
infants live, the population of women would be significantly greater than that of the men (EMP, 22). This would in turn lead to starvation without
having men to provide food for them. I am going to argue that the female infanticide is not a morally justifiable practice. I do not agree that killing
these innocents outweighs the benefits it has to their society. Many arguments that support female infanticide use the Cultural Relativism theory to
defend their claim. Cultural Relativism is a theory that depicts how we all have different cultures and different moral codes, therefore, it is impossible to
judge another 's culture from our own perspective (EMP, 19). In this way, female infanticide is justified because Eskimos do not heartlessly kill the
infants, but only do so only because they do not have the means to care for an extra amount of children (EMP, 22). Although it is true that they lack
birth control, it is still possible to not to have kids: do not have sexual relations when a woman is ovulating. This is a basic form

Ending the Tragedy of Female Foeticide and Infanticide

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Ending the Tragedy of Female Foeticide and Infanticide