Post a New Question | Current Questions | Live Experts
Homework Help: Social Studies: World Issues: Killing of Baby Girls
by Emily McPherson
Due to widespread poverty in India, many mothers are letting people
kill their baby girls so that they can try again for a male baby: the
government are trying to stop this.
Over the past fifteen years, many young Indian girls have been killed
or abandoned by families that would rather have a boy instead. There
are many different reasons for wanting a boy which may include, boys can
carry on the family name; boys can help on the farm. There are also
many reasons for not wanting a girl which include, girls are not as
strong as boys; girls need dowries when they get married; girls leave
the family to live with their husband's family.
In order to prevent the killing of young baby girls, a southern Indian
state may make it compulsory that all mothers stay in hospital for a
month after their baby is born and give them financial support. As well
as this proposal, the government has already prevented doctor's from
telling parents the sex of their fetuses.
Despite the government's efforts to prevent female infanticide and
abortion of female fetuses, India already has a 'disproportionate
number of males'. This is made worse by the Indian government's
solution to the overpopulation problem in which they plan to enforce a
one-child policy. Because families will only be allowed one child,
families that would have once had a girl and a boy will just be wanting
a boy. This was clearly demonstrated in China when many girls were
abandoned soon after it introduced a one-child policy.
Homework Help: Social Studies: World Issues
For Further Reading
|
