Born to Disappear?

On May 5, a story carried by a leading daily revealed that 481 villages across Haryana had severely skewed sex ratios at birth (SRB)—below 700 girls per 1,000 boys. The problem of illegal sex-selective MTPs persists in the state despite the best enforcement of laws and the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign. The story is only the tip of the iceberg, since female feticides are an open secret in most states. A study by the Pew Research Centre found that at least 9 million female feticides occurred between 2000–2019 across all sections of society in India. MacPherson, Yvonne (‘Images and Icons: Harnessing the Power of Media to Reduce Sex-Selective Abortion in India’, Gender and Development, 15(2): 413–23) estimates that 1,00,000 abortions every year are performed in India solely because the foetus is female.

Although the NFHS-5 survey for 2020–21 claims that the ‘Sex Ratio’ has been 929 females per 1,000 males over the last five years in India (yet to be corroborated by Census 2020–21), the sex ratio at birth (SRB) came down to an all-time low of 896. While the ‘Sex Ratio’ is a broad indicator of the number of women per 1,000 men—including immigration, births, and deaths—SRB is exclusive data on female children born, and is a crucial indicator for the socioeconomic progress of women. Similarly, the Child Sex Ratio (CSR), which represents the number of females per 1,000 males in the 0–6-year-old category, is also a critical demographic indicator; it declined from 927 in the 2001 Census to 918 in the 2011 Census.

According to the Women and Men in India 2022 report (MoSPI), SRB is skewed in favour of boys, with 952 girls per 1,000 boys in states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Maharashtra. The overall gender ratio of Indian states places India at 40th position among 50 Asian countries and territories.

Researchers have concluded that the sex ratio at birth is always slightly skewed in favour of males across the world, especially in South and East Asia, including India and China. In Middle Eastern countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Oman—known for high male immigration—the male share of the population is higher. Eastern European countries and Russia, on the other hand, have a higher female share of the population. Broadly, most countries have a sex ratio of around 105 males per 100 female births, which the WHO calls the “expected sex ratio at birth.” However, exceptions include countries like China, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan, where SRB is skewed largely due to deliberate selection practices.

Amartya Sen, the Nobel Laureate, coined the term ‘Missing Women’ (More than 100 million women are missing, New York Review of Books, 20 December 1990, pp. 61–66), indicating the gap between the actual number and the expected number of women in a population in the absence of sex discrimination. He compared the birth sex ratio (males per 100 females) in Europe (106) and the United States (105+) with those in Asia (107+), and argued that the skewed sex ratios in favour of males in Asian countries may be due to excessive female mortality—implying a female shortfall of 11 per cent in Asia, or over 100 million women missing from the 3 billion combined population of India, other South Asian countries, West Asia, North Africa, and China.

According to Klausen Stephan and Wink Claudia (‘Missing Women: Revisiting the Debate’, Feminist Economics, 9 (2003;2–3)), the skewed sex ratios of India and China are primarily the result of sex-selective abortions, since any significant deviations in birth sex ratios from the normal range can only be explained by manipulation. Banjot Kaur (‘Foeticide: More 'Missing' Girls… in Last Two Decades, Official Data Shows’, 2022) argues that the child sex ratio in favour of boys has risen from 102.4 males per 100 females in 1961 to 108.9 in 2011 due to the higher prevalence of female foeticide in urban India.

The consequences of a skewed sex ratio are not limited to low fertility or gender-based crime alone, as often feared; rather, they threaten social harmony and equilibrium as well. According to Guilmoto, CZ (Sex-Ratio Imbalance in Asia: Trends, Consequences and Policy Responses, Paris, 2007, LPED/IRD), men will not only have delayed marriages but may also forgo marriage altogether, since the ‘marriage market’ becomes volatile, filled with a ‘backlog’ of unmarried men from previous generations. The poorest males will likely be the worst hit, since women tend to ‘marry up’ in society. Hudson, VM, and Den Boer, A. (Missing Women and Bare Branches: Gender Balance and Conflict, Environmental Change and Security Program Report, 2005 (11), 20–24) state that women may become more vulnerable, as they may be forced to marry early and forgo opportunities for personal and career pursuits. A skewed sex ratio may also affect the mental health of men over the years.

The last ten years have seen a lot of awareness against female foeticides and infanticides, thanks to dozens of schemes rolled out by both Central and State governments to encourage girl children: Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, Balika Samriddhi Yojana, Ladli Lakshmi Yojana (Madhya Pradesh), Mukhyamantri Rajshree Yojana (Rajasthan), and Mazi Kanya Bhagyashree Scheme (Maharashtra), to name a few. In addition to important laws like the Dowry Prohibition Act, Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, and Domestic Violence Act, 2005, we have the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT Act), as amended in 2023, enacted to prohibit the misuse of prenatal diagnostic techniques for sex-selective abortions.

However, laws often fail to deliver intended results due to procrastinated investigations and weak prosecutions. According to MHA reports, in 2021, only 29 per cent of prosecutions culminated in convictions. Albeit an improvement from 19 per cent in 2016, the pendency of cases at a staggering 96 per cent, despite fast-track trials, is frustrating. Cases like Nirbhaya, Abhaya, and Shraddha frighten society; they reflect our failure to guarantee even physical security—the most basic human right—for women, let alone empowerment of any other kind. We need to revamp the enforcement machinery as well, with more resources.

It is imperative for India to ensure a robust sex ratio at birth over the next two decades. Even as the existing schemes continue to operate, we need to continuously monitor the situation. Attitudinal changes with regard to gender-biased patriarchal values are essential to create an ecosystem of social mobility with equality and security. For example, in states with higher social mobility (the southern and eastern states), crime rates against women are lower and the sex ratio at birth is more balanced. Kerala continues to be the poster boy for the highest sex ratio in general, with 1,084 females for every 1,000 males. We also need stronger political will. For example, instead of waiting for the actual enactment of the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, parties might as well field women candidates in one-third of seats in elections. As Ambedkar stated, the progress of a community can be measured by the degree of progress which women have achieved.

The writer is a former Addl. Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh. Views expressed are personal