Question

Give any two suggestions to create awareness to stop female foeticide.

Answer 1

Female foeticide is an illegal and intentional abortion of a female child in a foetus stage. It is a practice which still continues in many parts of India although it is prohibited by the government.

Complete Answer:
A gender slective abortion of a child is highly illegal and should not be allowed in any circumstances. A child, be it male or female has full right to take birth and live a life. Female foeticide is practiced because of our in-built prejudices for women that they are weak and a burden for the family. People abort them because they feel less pride in giving birth to a girl child and therefore prefer male babies. Lack of education, less authoritative women in family and the continuing dowry system are contributors to this practice.

To create awareness to stop female foeticide:
Proper education can help prevent this shameful activity. More importantly, the women of both rural and urban areas need to have a proper access to education. Education gives women freedom, self empowerment and authority. They can take their own decisions and thus offend such illegal practices. An educated mother can protect her child by rightfully fighting against female foeticide and taking strict actions against the people who force her to do so. When a girl goes to school, she gets aware about her fundamental rights and about lawful practices.

Complete prohibition of the Dowry system: It is a vicious cycle which takes place in our society. Many people abort their girl child due to the dowry system practiced in their native areas. Dowry is given by a girl's family to the boy’s during her marriage. This puts a lot of pressure on the girl’s family including debts and loans. Therefore, people avoid having a girl child and hence terminate pregnancy by illegally asking doctors about the sex of the child. If the awareness is created regarding the illegal dowry system and is completely prohibited then female foeticide can be stopped.

Note: A female foeticide is done because of the widespread use of ultrasound illegally in many local hospitals and clinics. It is done after 12 weeks of pregnancy and can detect the sex of a child accurately.