India's Missing Girls

[monster]

A recent series of article from the BBC following the census in India reveals a disturbing fall in the female population in the last 10 years, and over the last 30 years, since pre-natal sex-determination tests became widely available.

KASHMIR'S WORST DISTRICTS
Srinagar 869 (928)
Anantnag 832 (977)
Budgam 832 (1004)
Ganderbal 863 (1014 )
Kupwara 854 (1021)
Shopian 883 (1011)
Pulwama 836 (1046)
Numbers of girls for every 1,000 boys aged 0-6. Figures in brackets are from 2001

The figures are particularly disturbing over the last 10 years because the goverment has introduced many schemes they thought would help girls becomed more valued and so saved. But the figures show that they are not working. One of the articles discusses how men in some regions are now paying for brides rather than receiving a dowry, and yet the practiced of female feticide and infanticide is obviously still continuing, although the out-of-practice statitician in me notes that the region where brides are being imported (Haryana) has a slight improvement in the girl to boy ratio over the last 10 years (from approx 820 to approx 830 girls per 1,000 boys). Not enough to suggest that the girl-killing has stopped. Not even enough to suggest that it will all be alright in the end.

It makes me very sad. And I question whether other countries should/could step in?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13264301
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13385727
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13331808