Daughters unwanted (not alone in NI)!!

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/magazine/article2774504.ece?homepage=true



She has spent considerable time researching female infanticide. Sharada Srinivasan talks about why elimination of the girl child is prevalent all over the country.


Daughter elimination is very much prevalent in Tamil Nadu even if not as intense as in other parts of the country. Sharada Srinivasan, assistant professor in International Development Studies at York University Toronto, has spent a considerable amount of time researching this subject. Her book Daughter Deficit: Sex Selection in Tamil Nadu (Women Unlimited) explores this issue in depth. She talks to Meenakshi Kumar on how widespread the practice is and why daughters are unwanted.

Punjab and Haryana have made headlines for a dismal sex ratio and hair-raising stories of daughter elimination. What made you focus on sex selection practice in Tamil Nadu?

I had come across articles in the newspapers about this practice, which was first reported in the 1980s. During the mid-1990s I had the opportunity to visit a NGO working to prevent female infanticide in Usilampatti in Madurai district. That brought me face to face with the issue. I wanted to find out more. At that time, Madurai and Salem were the two districts which were highlighted in the media. In the case of Tamil Nadu, despite the relatively high status of women, the State has recorded a steady decline in its 0–6 age group sex ratio. The ratio has fallen from 985 in 1961 to 942 in 2001 and some of the districts with the most unequal 0–6 sex ratios in the country lie within the State. Thus, while the level of the 0–6 sex ratio in Tamil Nadu may be higher than the national average, the temporal patterns in the ratio suggest that the State is experiencing a trend that is similar to the rest of the country. This intrigued me and led me to ask why this happened, what the consequences were and what could be done to prevent daughter elimination.

How widespread is the practice? Which are the communities that have been practising it?

Even though Tamil Nadu has a short history of daughter elimination when compared to other parts of India, it is quite widespread in the State. A 1997 survey pointed out that female infanticide was far more widespread than it's believed to be and occurred in several districts and across several castes. Evidence from Tamil Nadu as well as from other States clearly establishes that the practice emerges from among the well-off, propertied/ land-owning families in the dominant castes. Certain castes such as the Kallars in Madurai, Gounders in Salem and Gounders in Vellore district were found to be practising female infanticide. Now daughter elimination occurs across all castes.

Would you say that it's more a rural phenomenon and can be directly linked to poor and illiterate people?

No, not at all. The practice clearly emerges from wealthy land-owning families who now are well-connected to the modern, urbanized world. My research and travel in Tamil Nadu have shown me that it's not the poor or illiterate who initiate this practice. The bulk comes from well-off families. Interestingly, I found that among land-owning families in Punjab, the trend of having only one son (one child) is growing as they don't want the property to be divided or fought over among several sons. This is similar to the pattern observed among the land-owning families of Salem — if the first one is a son, the couple will not try for another child. But if the first one is a daughter, the second one will be a son and then there will be no more children. Many such communities have begun to report bride shortage and have had to marry from other sub-castes or regions.

Why are daughters so unwanted?

Property is one main reason, at least among the propertied groups. Traditionally, daughters don't inherit ancestral property. Besides, a daughter is seen as a liability and not an investment. Also, in the absence of social security and their own source of financial support, parents hope to live with a son in their old age. Most parents in Tamil Nadu like elsewhere in India do not expect to live in their old age with their married daughters. In addition, a huge dowry has become inevitable. Also a daughter can be a huge emotional burden in case something goes wrong with the marriage. Women in general and daughters specifically carry the family honour and can be another reason why too many daughters are not preferred.

Do you think government intervention can help?

Yes, it can to a large extent help to change a social norm such as daughter elimination. While in the long run fundamental changes in social norms and attitudes are necessary to create an environment favourable to daughters, good policies can be useful in bringing about change especially in the short term. In the case of Tamil Nadu, the child sex ratio has improved from 942 in 2001 to 946 in 2011 — for the first time since 1961. The increase of four points, seemingly small, has come almost entirely from five districts — Dharmapuri, Salem, Theni, Namakkal and Madurai — which have had some of the highest daughter deficits. These districts were the focus of intense efforts by the government and NGOs to prevent female infanticide and female foeticide. The government launched the cradle baby scheme, girl child protection scheme and stepping up of legal action in the 1990s to prevent female infanticide.

Such efforts were intensified following the 2001 Census. The results were dramatic; female infanticide reduced significantly. For example, in rural Salem, female infant mortality fell from 121 over the period 1996-99 to 45 in 2003. In Dharmapuri the corresponding numbers were 111 to 49 and in Theni 81 to 42. Thanks to the efforts of NGOs, in many districts it is difficult for a scan centre to operate without being registered and has increased the risk of offering sex selection tests. Still, an environment favourable to daughters is a distant prospect. It is quite possible that a reduction in government and NGO interest in preventing daughter elimination could reverse the pattern.


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Keywords: sex ratio, female infanticide, sex selection

The practice clearly emerges from wealthy land-owning families who now
are well-connected to the modern, urbanized world. My research and
travel in Tamil Nadu have shown me that it's not the poor or illiterate
who initiate this practice. The bulk comes from well-off families.

>>>>This is scary!

===> Does this mean that Max and FlimFlam are going to eat crow?

The government launched the cradle baby scheme, girl child protection scheme and stepping up of legal action in the 1990s to prevent female infanticide.

Such efforts were intensified following the 2001 Census. The results were dramatic; female infanticide reduced significantly. For example, in rural Salem, female infant mortality fell from 121 over the period 1996-99 to 45 in 2003. In Dharmapuri the corresponding numbers were 111 to 49 and in Theni 81 to 42.

===> We should thank Jayalalitha for that. Her heart is in the right place.

MulaiAzhagi wrote:===> Does this mean that Max and FlimFlam are going to eat crow?

i've discussed this issue threadbare elsewhere and don't have the energy to get into all that again. but my response to questions like yours is always another question: if you want to start attacking world poverty as an issue where would you get the most bang for your effort -- sub-saharan africa or appalachia?

and for people like kris who act all surprised to know that the problem is absolutely the worst in urban northindia amongst the richest of families of punjab, delhi, and haryana aided by education and technology, i refer you to this thread where i posted under the handle mamallan (http://www.anothersubcontinent.com/forums/index.php?/topic/4158-india-loses-10m-female-births/). i have also discussed this at sulekha, but the destruction of formatting at sulekha makes those old threads unreadable.

and for people like kris who act all surprised to know that the problem is absolutely the worst in urban northindia amongst the richest of families of punjab, delhi, and haryana aided by education and technology,

>>>Huh? I was reacting to the following:

"My research and
travel in Tamil Nadu have shown me that it's not the poor or illiterate
who initiate this practice. The bulk comes from well-off families'

Where does urban north india figure in the statement?

let me clarify. the lancet article from which i had extracted the stats in the anothersubcontinent post noted that all across india, urban areas (and therefore better off and more educated) had worse rates of female foeticide than rural areas (that already covers the new "discovery" that sara boji made) and northern urban locales were the worst in the country.

MaxEntropy_Man wrote:let me clarify. the lancet article from which i had extracted the stats in the anothersubcontinent post noted that all across india, urban areas (and therefore better off and more educated) had worse rates of female foeticide than rural areas (that already covers the new "discovery" that sara boji made) and northern urban locales were the worst in the country.

Max please share your views on the words i have underlined below (extract taken from the hindu article):

Punjab and Haryana have made headlines for a dismal sex ratio
and hair-raising stories of daughter elimination. What made you focus on
sex selection practice in Tamil Nadu?

I had come across
articles in the newspapers about this practice, which was first
reported in the 1980s. During the mid-1990s I had the opportunity to
visit a NGO working to prevent female infanticide in Usilampatti in
Madurai district. That brought me face to face with the issue. I wanted
to find out more. At that time, Madurai and Salem were the two districts
which were highlighted in the media. In the case of Tamil Nadu, despite
the relatively high status of women, the State has recorded a steady
decline in its 0–6 age group sex ratio. The ratio has fallen from 985 in
1961 to 942 in 2001 and some of the districts with the most unequal 0–6
sex ratios in the country lie within the State. Thus, while the level
of the 0–6 sex ratio in Tamil Nadu may be higher than the national
average, the temporal patterns in the ratio suggest that the State is
experiencing a trend that is similar to the rest of the country. This
intrigued me and led me to ask why this happened, what the consequences
were and what could be done to prevent daughter elimination.

rashmun this woman seems to have just gotten interested in the issue unlike me. i have said all i wanted to day to you on this issue in sulekha. i have no desire to indulge in groundhog day.

it doesnt matter to what extent daughters are not wanted in which State .the fact that there is female infanticide in India is in itself appalling .

yes both in wealthy and poor families

even in the US I have sensed that a son is more welcome than a daughter .

pretty soon there will be a paucity of women in the world

then who will bear the sons ?

perhaps by then science will make sure that a man can bear a child.

good then women will be entirely eliminated and gaydom will rule

shame

it doesnt matter to what extent daughters are not wanted in which State .the fact that there is female infanticide in India is in itself appalling .

>>>Yep!


even in the US I have sensed that a son is more welcome than a daughter .

>>>Don't know about this.

pretty soon there will be a paucity of women in the world

>>>>Shoot me now!

kris,

it's true about the US

at baby showers when the sex is known the mother- to -be announces she is bearing a son with more joy ...

remember you are as much to blame as the other men ..it's called collective responsibility ..

now go out and protest against this atrocious custom

chameli wrote:it doesnt matter to what extent daughters are not wanted in which State .the fact that there is female infanticide in India is in itself appalling .

that's too easy and too useless. policy makers and NGOs who want to solve problem will want to know the differences between the regions and the reasons for the differences.

MaxEntropy_Man wrote:

chameli wrote:it doesnt matter to what extent daughters are not wanted in which State .the fact that there is female infanticide in India is in itself appalling .

that's too easy and too useless. policy makers and NGOs who want to solve problem will want to know the differences between the regions and the reasons for the differences.

Still hung up on your origin and how great it is !

Don't you think because Tamilian girls are difficult to marry off ..unless they are stinking rich ..or beautiful ..in which case they usurp anothers husband lawlessly eg actress Hema Malini .... female babies are unwanted in that State ?

and fair and lovely creams are so much in demand ?

..what is there to disagree about ?

no one is holding you responsible

i repeat ...there should be harsh rules against such practices no matter which State in India

I agree with Chameli. It is not useful to point fingers at one another in this dastardly crime. As an ethnic group, Indians should be ashamed that such atrocity is taking place in our community of origin. The horror is intensified by the fact that it is the educated urban classes that are fueling this practice with the aid of modern technology.

Max was right in saying that action need to focus on getting biggest bang for the buck.

truthbetold wrote:I agree with Chameli. It is not useful to point fingers at one another in this dastardly crime.

what do you mean pointing fingers? the lancet article that i cited was published by doctors in a chandigarh hospital and at the university of toronto. all the authors were northindian. are you saying it is not useful to look at statistics as a means to gain understanding?

max ,

even if Tamil Nadu has the smallest percentage of female infanticides the practice needs to be stopped ..it is still a crime

your argument is akin to a person being stopped for driving too fast and he tells the cop .."but the other guy was going faster ...catch him "

the cop will say" ill get to him later let me take care of u first "

* speaking from experience

and u say you don't use the caste card ? or the State card ?

truth be told,

it is indeed a dastardly act .

.the rich pay the doctors large amounts to perform abortions even in 3rd trimesters

the poor will throw the female infant into the dust bin .

that's the only difference

max,

"Max was right in saying that action need to focus on getting biggest bang for the buck".

That was from my earlier post.

Pointing fingers was from past history recollection on how flim flam used these subject to inflame anti NI feelings.