Girl, Interrupted: India High Court Attacks Gender-Based Abortion

[Guest guest]

There's been some interesting movement on this crucial issue. Below

I've excerpted a news brief on the court decision, followed by an

editorial on what it may mean:

 

NEWS BRIEF

 

NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 11, 2003: The Supreme Court on Wednesday

ordered the Centre and the state governments to swing into action

and seize the unlicensed ultrasound machines being used for sex

determination purposes. It asked the authorities to strictly

monitor the activities of ultrasound diagnostic clinics to prevent

illegal female feticide.

 

A Bench of Justices M. B. Shah and Ashok Bhan also said that it was

an admitted fact that girls in India were being discriminated

against and dowry was still prevalent.

 

"With no change in the mindset about females, the sex determination

tests add to the adverse situation," the Bench said, adding: "The

court would not be able to change the mindset of the population."

The judgment is a fallout of a public interest litigation filed by

an NGO called the Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes

(CEHAT) through its activist Sabu George, seeking implementation of

the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulations and Prevention of

Misuse) Act across the country.

 

Courtesy of Hindu Press International

 

EDITORIAL COMMENT

 

The Supreme Court has spoken, now it is up to the rest of us.

 

The last census had proved an eye-opener. It revealed that the sex

ratio of the population in the 0-6 age group had declined in 10

years from 945 to 927 which, in turn, pointed to the widespread

practice of female foeticide despite legislation banning it.

 

This disturbing trend had provoked a Mumbai-based health

organisation to file a public interest litigation before the Supreme

Court which had led to an unprecedented series of court orders over

the last two years aimed primarily at curbing the illegal use of

ultrasound facilities for sex determination. The concern was

reiterated by the Supreme Court in its final order on Wednesday,

when it directed the Centre and state governments to "strictly

monitor" the illegal activities of ultrasound diagnostic clinics to

prevent female foeticide.

 

But will this happen? The experience of the recent past does not

allow for any complacency on this score. Indeed, even after the

medical community had attempted self-regulation through campaigns

launched by the Indian Medical Association and the Medical Council

of India, precious little was achieved. The fact is sex

determination is an extremely lucrative business that can, besides,

be conducted discreetly. There are reports of diagnosticians

providing mobile service by taking their ultrasound machines to far-

flung villages in their cars. Cracking down on this will, therefore,

require a sharp eye and a firm hand and the state's regulatory

authorities have not given much evidence of either.

 

The Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act is not the most efficacious

of laws but even the mechanisms it provides, like the constitution

of district level advisory committees to monitor the situation on

the ground, have not been put in place. Lethargy is the enemy of

change. Before we talk of curbing female foeticide, we need perhaps

to search for ways to energise our army of administrators.

 

The apex court was only stating the obvious when it made the

connection between female foeticide and the poor status of the girl

child. But the complexity of the big picture must not lead to the

neglect of more modest but useful measures like the effective

regulation of ultrasound technology. The Supreme Court has spoken.

If Census 2011 is not to register an even steeper decline in India's

child sex ratio we need to act now.

 

Source: Indian Express

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=31282

[Guest guest]

It is difficult to understand how the only country(or one of the few)

to have an uninterrupted worship of female diety in the form of the

Divine Mother and goddesses can still have a gender bias against

girls. Is this only because of the girl having to provide a dowry

when married. If so, maybe that custom could be changed. Or as a

last resort, are there ways to provide for adoption instead of

abortion?

 

Randy

 

, "Devi Bhakta"

<devi_bhakta> wrote:

> There's been some interesting movement on this crucial issue. Below

> I've excerpted a news brief on the court decision, followed by an

> editorial on what it may mean:

>

> NEWS BRIEF

>

> NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 11, 2003: The Supreme Court on

Wednesday

> ordered the Centre and the state governments to swing into action

> and seize the unlicensed ultrasound machines being used for sex

> determination purposes. It asked the authorities to strictly

> monitor the activities of ultrasound diagnostic clinics to prevent

> illegal female feticide.

>