Female foeticide

Many times a day I see a poster hanging on the door of my office. With the catchy title “Missing daughters” it depicts maps of the Indian states and respective numbers for each state. When just joined CSR India as socially unawares and innocent as I was I got an idea of poor girls disappearing… trafficking in people or something… It did not take long, as far as I started with the readings on social issues, to realize the reason for daughters to miss. Ominous term “female foeticide” entered my essential vocabulary used to describe the contemporary India.

Basically, female foeticide is a practice of selective elimination of the female foetus after prenatal sex determination or sex pre-selection, thus avoiding the birth of a girl child.

Legislation-wise, sex determination of unborn child in India is banned under Pre-conception and pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994. Moreover, utilization of ultra-sonography, amniocentesis to determine and communicate the sex of an unborn is punishable under the law since January 1996. As far as abortion itself is concerned, it was legalized in India in 1971 with the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act.

Now… why would anyone be so concerned about sex-selective abortion? Is not that a right of parents to determine the sex of their baby to be born? And what is so threatening about the prevalence of boys in the society? For me, coming from Russia with just the opposite demographical situation (prevalence of women attributed to still hard felt consequences of the Second World War when we lost millions of men) these concerns with missing daughters seemed somewhat strange. Not until I gave it a thought and researched the literature.

Female foeticide is a major explanatory indicator for child sex ratio (number of girls per 1000 of boys in 0–6 y.o.) of the country. In turn, distorted child sex ratio has a number of important implications for the nation as such. Lesser women in population may further worsen their status in the society. In particular, it may give a rise to violence against women, sexual harassment, rape and abduction. Experts also predict forced polyandry, increased prostitution and the respective rise of HIV as the indirect cost of female foeticide. On the women’s part, the alarming consequences are psychological disorders and health hazards caused by poorly conducted sex-determination procedures and numerous abortions. And it is women’s health that significantly determines health and reproduction of the nation. Quite convincing to get concerned.

As big the concern is as cumbersome it appears to estimate its scope. According to Minister of state for Health and Family Welfare Panabaka Lakshmi, as female foeticides take place secretly, no authentic figures are available. Census 2001 reveals only the number of the cases registered with police under “Crime against women”: quoted as 50-90 cases a year (throughout 1997-2003) these figures appear incredibly small. Yet, according to the conservative estimates of a research team from University of Toronto in Canada and the Institute of Medical Education in Chandigarh, India prenatal sex determination and selective abortion accounts for 500,000 missing girls yearly. The research team found that when the first birth was a girl, at the second birth there were 759 girls born to every 1,000 boys. At the third birth, the sex ratio declined further to 719 girls to every 1,000 boys when the first two births were girls. By contrast, when the first or second child was a boy, the number of girls born at second or subsequent births exceeded the number of boys .

Another study reveals that out of 15 million abortions carried out in the world in 1997, India alone accounted for 4 million (27%), 90 per cent of which were intended to eliminate the girl child while Indian population comprised 16,5% of world population in 1997 .

In the absence of the adequate statistics on female foeticide only may use indirect indicators to assess the scope of the phenomenon. Only regarding usage of ultrasound, as per reports received on 31st October 2005 from states and UTs, 27399 units/clinics using ultrasound, image scanners etc have been registered under pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic techniques (PC and PNDT) Act 1994 . And this is considering not well-developed healthcare system in the country. This figure does not obviously provide for unregistered equipment in usage. From my own experience, fences and walls on the streets pestryat advertisements such as “abortion without medicaments”, “pregnancy tests” etc. Whereas ultrasound may be available only for middle and upper class urban women, still nearly three-fourths of the women in the suburban area knew about the sex determination test according to some research . In fact, ultrasound is not the only available sex-determination technology.

If to use child sex ratio as a benchmark for the female foeticide occurrence one faces the figure of 927 (girls for 1000 boys) for all-India, 793 for Punjab (the worst child sex-ratio) and 964 for Andhra Pradesh (the most favourable child sex-ration). Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajastan, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra appear below the country-average. In general, the northern states show much more distorted sex-ratio than southern ones. It is interesting to note that areas of Punjab and Haryana are the most prosperous states in the country, and Gujarat and Maharashtra are the most industrialized ones. This data questions the commonly shared belief that level of education and wealth should negatively correlate with occurrence of female foeticide. Therefore, this is not lack of education or financial means to support daughters that mainly contributes to the existence of female foeticide.


In fact, female foeticide is deeply rooted in societal norms and practices of Indian society.

 According to Hindu beliefs a son alone can perform the last rites, which ensure salvation of the soul after death.

 It is the son who carries the family name and lineage.

 Parents are considered to be the “trustees” of their daughters, who belongs to ‘another family’ and in reality, is only a ‘guest’ till she is married off into her matrimonial home.

 The investments into bringing up daughters (caring, protecting their sexuality, arranging for grooms, dowry and life long gifts) are prohibitive considering the low or even negative returns for the family.

As a consequence of social practices and beliefs, a number of economic reasons come:

 Dowry: Having son means growing family property, whereas having daughter means departing with some of the families’ material possessions once she gets married. The same goes for inheritance rights that, once fixed for daughter, would go from family as a part of dowry. Therefore, daughters are seen as a liability for family, while sons are welcome as a definite asset.
Property considerations seem so strong that until very recently in the south of India marriages between cousins were common with the idea to keep the property in the family.

 Labour market discrimination: men are likely to get better jobs and get higher pays then women. Therefore, son is seen as a major source of family income who also support the elderly parents.

To realize the strength of the social pressure on woman, one may think of the following data. According to a study of suburban women 95% of them would favor termination of pregnancy if they knew that the foetus is female. 46% of them were actually prepared to terminate a pregnancy if the foetus were female, while the remaining 54 percent despite a favorable attitude, said that they would not actually do so as they had either completed their family or had two sons. Moreover, 18 percent of the respondents were ready to abort a female foetus even though they considered it a sin . This explains the paradox of social compulsion and individual choice. According to social norms they considered abortion a sin, and yet, female foeticide was acceptable for them.

What to do? And are there any effective interventions possible at all? How do you address the issue that is so intimately related with such core social realities as dowry, low social status of women, patriarchic society? The culture that took thousand of years to build does not take short time to change… Do you just opuskat’ ruki and watch worsening sex-ratio?… Who is to be responsible? Who is to intervene? How to intervene?

film festival “Women, Media and Society: Transformations”

On March, 8 I attended a film festival of documentaries shooted by female film makers “Women, Media and Society: Transformations”. The event was held in India International Centre to mark International Women’s Day.

In course of the event it became obvious to me that there are many ways to address and speak about women’s issues. One may conduct a study on some topic to estimate scale and scope of the problem. Another may organize events and panel discussions to generate public awareness. Some would write a post, an article, a poem or a book to provoke thinking. Someone else would go around with a camera to document and screen the reality that passes unnoticed for many people. It is actually puzzling to think what would have a stronger impact… Read in a newspaper that 30% of women in their lives get raped? Or once hear a narrative of a raped woman? Or just look in her eyes?…

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From “For Maya” by Vasudha Joshi.

An old lady in her 60s or 70s narrates a story about her neighbourhood where a blackboard on the street was used for the announcements, gossips etc. From a very young age she had wanted to write on the blackboard, but her father told her “You cannot, because you are a girl”. Time passed, she got older and older and she still did not get permission to write there. Her 60s passed, and 70s came and once she lost a purse at the market. She made up her mind – the time is now – and came up to the blackboard. A men nearby gave her chalk and said, “Go ahead”. She wrote down that she lost her purse and asked to return it to X. Next day she saw a message below hers saying that she could pick up her purse at place Y. Little embarrassed by her own confessions with laugher and tears she says that after all the dream of all her life came true – she wrote on the blackboard.

To me this is one of the most touching stories I have ever heard. It is amazing how one simple wish could take so long to fulfil. This is not about writing on the blackboard after all. This is an account of denial of basic rights – access to the public space, right to be recognized, right to speak up your aspirations and right to be heard. I have been reading quiet a while about all that before, but I never took it as close to my heart as after the documentary. Is not that eye-opening to find out that what you do on a routine basis and take for granted is a significant undertaking and even a rebellious act for some?
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Undoubtedly, narrative power of documentaries is hard to overestimate. However, it seems hard to get access to masses with a non-commercial documentary. So, no way to negotiate value of large-scale awareness campaigns and far-reaching written word.

It is interesting to note that many of the films screened are in fact reflections on personal experiences of the film makers themselves. According to Samina Mishra, this is an act of shifting boundaries between world and ourselves, so that to define ourselves at the end of the day. The material comes out as a very emotional, fragile open-up. What adds to this impression is a female touch that creates great aesthetic appeal in most of the documentaries. They are just beautifully done – with mood-transmitting scenes, landscapes, interiors, with right lightning, colours, shades, with carefully selected music, thought-through scripts and prominent characters. Forms varying from almost continuous shooting vs. dramatised script.

Yet, how valued a personal account could be? How powerful? How to enable other people to relate to that? How to make the public get as passionate about your grandma as you are, as interested in the history of your family as you might be? Some manage better, some do not at all..

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From “The House on Gulmohar Avenue” by Samina Mishra

The documentary tells us something about what it takes to be a Muslim woman in India. It is a story about Muslim community in Delhi, concentrated in Jamia Nagar and Zakir Nagar in South-West Delhi. The narrative is woven with stories told by many people: Samira’s mother, who being a Muslim, married a Hindu man, and had to strive for the acceptance by his family; a young woman, resident of Jamia, who tells how driving from Delhi rickshawmen would stop at the border of Jamia Nagar not willing to bring her further; Samira’s uncle who stays in this place only and sees no reasons to move out; a man who tells how his was refused in a credit card as a resident of Zakir Nagar, with his network he managed to get the card anyway, but he said it was scary to find yourself in the shoes of a common man; Samira and her Hindu husband; and many other residents of Jamia Nagar and Zakir Nagar. The film poses a whole range of questions. Samira herself does not look like a typical Muslim woman – western clothes and open mind. What is Muslim woman anyway? Does Western clothes and open mind make her less Muslim? – She herself asks…

The movie is not difficult to relate with even if you are not a Muslim women living in India. In fact, the film raises much broader questions of identity and belonging. Is your belonging based on geography, nationality, religion or gender? Can it be based on all of them and that would be you leading identity? What strengthens your identity and what weakens it? Can two controversial identities co-exist in you?
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A film can provoke thinking and enable people to relate to it once it captures features that would have social relevance, once it pictures typical characters and commonalities. It would never substitute statistics. But it would let aloud the voices behind the numbers.

Intro

With a professional and personal interest in cross-cultural aspects of femininity, in Jan 2006 I came to India for a traineeship in the Centre for Social Research. I feel that the issues I’ve been reflecting on in my personal blog have outgrown the latter. Therefore, I’ve started up this one to explore Indian femininity.

What is it like to be born woman in India: verdict or blessing? What does it take to be one? Wearing sari, bangles, cumcum bindi, staying at home, downcasting your eyes in the presence of men? I guess it is not at least due to the hard work of various development agencies that we think of Indian women as powerless human beings that grow coconuts or breed cows. Right, you come here and see… By the virtue of being foreigner you’ll get to socialize with people from Indian upper class. You’ll meet those educated, career-minded, fashionably dressed girls and you’ll wonder whose rights are under threat here. Yet, you’ll go to the streets, take buses, visit villages and you’ll see sari and bangles and cumcum bindi and more of it. Being exposed to these both sides of India I am captivated to understand them and share my observations. I am happy to get challenging comments, though critique, provoking writings and any sort of feedback you’ll be willing to give.

25 most powerful women in Indian business

Last week Business Today (March,12 2006) came up with the special edition on “The 25 most powerful women in Indian business”. 25 brief profiles of successful business women are featured in the issue.

Business Today has done a great job in celebrating achievements of women managers. The whole overtone of the initiative emphasizes normality of “woman-in-top management” scenario. The profiles of heroines are not heart-rending stories of the hardships they had to face on the way to the top, but rather sober accounts of their professional achievements. The authors make the point clear: stop staring – women are not rare animals in male corporate habitat. You’d better look how they perform. They are managers on the first place and should be assessed according to their professional status rather than gender.

The average “powerful women” got younger these days. She is 42.67 y.o. in comparison with her 46.84 y.o. counterpart in 2004-2005 and 48.80 y.o. counterpart in 2003-2004. This tendency gives hope as it is always more pleasant to join the crowd of powerful in your early 40s rather than at time you are close to 50s. 44% of Power 25 work in Finance/Banking (same number last year), 12% in Heath Sciences and Media/Entertainment each. These indicators, however, might have nothing to do with the ominance of women in the respective sectors. If women taking up senior managerial positions in those industries have higher chances for being recognized as powerful, that does not mean it is easier for women to climb up the corporate ladders there.

Interestingly enough, in the same issue of Business Today along with the Power 25 ranking one finds the material on the supportive wives of powerful men (the shadow sovereigns). Business Today goes on that as follows,

“…you, the male CEO with a large corporation to run, are powerful because the person behind you has not just helped create an environment where your powers can bloom, but has actually contributed to its potency”.

In my opinion, this kind of article would be unlikely to appear in many other countries striving for gender equality. Woman as a supplement to man? Is it what you are saying? Here in India (and some other countries too) this state of affairs is legitimate … and!!! not necessarily discriminative for women. Business Today continues:

“they (those women) are not just the alter ego of their powerful husbands, but also accomplished women in their own rights, women with vision, courage, ambition and energy”.

Why do not those women themselves pursue the careers of the scope competitive to that of their husbands? Is it severe gender discrimination that holds them back? I wonder if the women themselves would raise their eye- brows when approached with such a question. Could it be it is natural for them to carry on this way – influencing, but never claiming their leadership aloud? Could it be it is a part of Indian femininity? Could it be Indian women are not as powerless as they appear to Western observers coming up with their own metrics to access Hindu societal norms? Still, the very existence of the article in Business Today demonstrates that public actually knows and recognizes the shadow sovereigns. However much the latter want to keep their profile low.

Whenever reading about successful women I get proud of those. Undoubtedly, they deserve respect – those women who made it to the top notwithstanding the double burden of work and household duties, male dominance in the corporate habitat and self-limiting thinking. It is basically a pleasure to observe self-confident people, who are professional and enthusiastic about what they are doing. Materials on successful women inspire those still on the way: essentially, we do not meet any of Power 25 in the streets, therefore media coverage becomes a crucial source providing us with role models of successful businesswomen. You read and keep thinking: If they have done it, why would not I be able to?

Do not get too excited, though… Have a closer look at gender-insensitive picture. Female Power 25 is good, but what about Power 25 as such? In December 2005 The Economic times made a ranking Most Influential Global Indians where only 1 of the 10 nominees appears to be female. Make a search in Google for admired, powerful, successful businessmen and CEO in India and you’d get handsome results with almost all-male content.

Business Today completed a small scale survey (100 companies sampled with 43% response rate). In turned out that among the companies responded women take up 7.48 % positions in senior management (median). With scarce information regarding the companies sampled it is difficult to establish validity of these findings.

What about the nation-wide statistics? Not much to compare with - in fact data in women in management (any level) in India is virtually non-existent. Koshal, Koshal and Gupta (2005) in their research refer to a figure of 2 women taking administrative and managerial positions per 100 economically active men in India. 2% figure is also found in somewhat outdated research by Neft, N., & Levine, A. D. (1997). www.indianngos.com reports the figure of less than 3% without quoting the source.

Therefore, an apparent controversy emerges. According to the general discourse maintained by media and general public, Indian women enter corporate world at a constantly increasing rate and there are plenty of opportunities awaiting them there. Yet, statistics shows somewhat different picture.

In this light, the Power 25 initiative by Business Today being undoubtedly encouraging should not appear misleading. Powerful women should be recognized, but how many of them at power?