Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on India's Gender Imbalance

Source: Population and Development Review, Vol. 34, No. 2 (Jun., 2008), pp. 387-389
Published by: Population Council
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25434699
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Documents 387

Prime Minister Manmohan

Singh on India's Gender
Imbalance

India is one of a number of countries, mostly East and South Asian, that record ano
male-dominated sex ratios at birth. Under-enumeration of girl children may be partly r
sible, but the larger cause is the selective abortion of female fetuses in societies showing
cultural or economic preferences for sons over daughters. Fetal sex determination became s
with the development of ultrasound technology. The sharp rise in the ratio of boys to girls
youngest population age groups seen in the Indian censuses of 1981,1991, and 2001?espe
in the northwestern states of Punjab and Haryana?coincides with the spread of this techno
notwithstanding that its use for this purpose has been outlawed since the early 1990s. (Abo
is legal in India but the principle of parental sovereignty in reproductive decisions is ov
in this case in the name of the collective interest.) In a recent speech Prime Minister Manm
Singh called attention to the gender imbalance and supported a nationwide campaign
sex discrimination in this "gray area of national concern. " The Prime Minister's speec
delivered on 28 April 2008 to the National Conference on "Save the Girl Child, " New D
a meeting organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It is reprinted belo
Prime Minister describes selective abortion of a female fetus as a reprehensible practice.
gin is found in the "patriarchal mindset, " its prevalence ascribed to "unscrupulous par
and "unethical conduct on the part of some medical practitioners " offering sex determ
services. The remedy, he says, lies in education and empowerment of women. While th
well be the case in the longer run, cross-sectional research findings are less than supportive
gender imbalance is positively associated with parental education and social status?w
linked to greater affordability of sex determination services or to the enhanced agency of h
status parents in reproductive decisions. The text of the speech can be found at ?httpJ/pm
nie. in/lspeech. asp ?id-677?.

ourof
I would like to compliment the Ministry local bodies have over a million women
Health and Family Welfare for taking thisrepresentatives.
very This is more than the number
important initiative to focus public attention
of elected women representatives in the entire
on a very major societal and developmental
rest of the world put together.
issue of our times?the neglect of girl children
But, this momentous action for political
in our country. empowerment has not been carried over into
India has a mixed record in action de other spheres of our nation's life. Our
many
signed for the advancement of our women. On in female literacy is far from satisfactory
record
the one hand we are one of the few countries
as the last Census recording only 54% female
of the world that gave women political power
literacy in the country. The last Census again
through universal adult suffrage soon showed
after a declining child sex ratio. Multiple
Independence. We also reposed faith indeprivations
the all with roots in the oppressive
potential of women in our public life. Today
structure of patriarchy have resulted in a bias

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388 Documents

against girls and against women. This isaction

a nato deal with this terrible onslaught on
our civilization.
tional shame and we must face this challenge
squarely here and now. Societal discrimination against women be
No nation, no society, no community ginscanin our very homes. It begins even before
hold its head high and claim to be part of
thethegirl child is born. One of the most inhu
man,
civilized world if it condones the practice ofuncivilized and reprehensible practices
discriminating against one half of humanity
is the practice of female foeticide. The patriar
represented by women. We are an ancient chal mindset and preference for male children
civilization and we call ourselves a modern
is compounded by unethical conduct on the
nation. And yet, we live with the ignominy
part of some medical practitioners assisted by
of an adverse gender balance due to social
unscrupulous parents who illegally offer sex
discrimination against women built into determination
our services.
societal structures. We must overcome this great problem
The focus in today's meeting is on through
the social awareness and strict enforce
mentitof the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal
declining child sex ratio in the country. But,
Diagnostics Techniques Act. I earnestly urge
is important to remember that gender related
all concerned to help in putting an end to this
deprivation is an interlocked situation. Female
illiteracy, obscurantist social practices like adopted by misuse of otherwise life
practice
child marriage or early marriage, dowry,saving
poormodern technology.
nutritional entitlements, taboos on women Some of the State Governments which are
in public places all make the Indian women especially vulnerable to this problem have tak
en positive actions on the issue. Schemes such
and especially the Indian girl child extremely
vulnerable. as the Dikri Bachao campaign of Gujarat, Girl
Child sex ratio statistics in the 0-6 age Child Protection Scheme of Tamil Nadu, Devi
group for the past four decades have been Rupak Scheme of Haryana, Ladli campaign
showing a continuous decline. The decline of Delhi and the scheme for cash incentive to
in girls per 1000 boys from 962 in 1981 to panchayats for improving the village sex ratio
927 in the year 2001 is indeed alarming. This of Punjab are good steps. These achievements
indicates that growing economic prosperity need to be built upon depending on the results
and education levels have not led to a corre that are on the horizon.
sponding mitigation in this acute problem. In But it is not government alone that can
fact, the census figures illustrate that it is some address this problem. Though Government
of the richer states of the country where the must be active in mobilizing public opinion
problem is most acute and these States include in this regard. We need active civil society
Punjab which had only 798 girls, Haryana involvement in the national campaign to save
819, Delhi 868 and Gujarat 883 girls per 1000 the girl child.
boys in the 2001 Census. Let the Ministry of Health focus on orient
As early as 1990, my esteemed friend, ing the million plus elected representatives of
Prof. Amartya Sen brought to the attention of the panchayats and urban local bodies and use
the world the fact that we have a situation in them as the medium for fighting this practice.
the world where more than 100 million wom The Ministry of Women & Child Development
en were missing. These missing women were should enlist the support of women panchayat
geographically located in South Asia, West leaders and women's Self-Help Groups to
Asia and China. In Europe, the United States strengthen the nutrition programme in our
and Japan, women outnumber men substan country. Action to protect the girl child has to
tially. The major difference is that women in be on the agenda of every elected leader in our
these countries suffer little discrimination in country. This is not to say that only women
basic nutrition and health care. It is nutrition should be part of this campaign. I do believe,
and health care that become equalizers. I am every elected representative must consider
happy that today we are discussing this im it his duty to be an active participant in this
portant issue in the presence of both Ministers national campaign.
of Health and Women & Child Development There has to be much greater focus on
in India. And we may consult a productive female literacy because the adverse sex ra

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Documents 389

tio that we have today has to be challenged

of discrimination against our women built into
our societal structures.
fundamentally in the minds of our people.
The Chairperson of UPA, Smt. Sonia Gandhi,
I would like to assure you that our gov
has recently urged that we must reorient the
ernment stands fully committed to support
National Literacy Mission to focus on any
female
action programme that is developed in
literacy. Female literacy has considerable mul
this grey area of national concern.
tiplier effects in all areas of empowermentI of
urge every citizen to step forward and
our girls and our women. help in empowering the girl child in every
In conclusion, I wish to say that we need way. The action must begin at home,
possible
concerted and multi pronged societal in action
our families, in our communities. I do not
to address the several contributing factors in as the Prime Minister of India. I say
say this
the predicament of the Indian girl child. We
this as the proud father of three daughters. I
need to strengthen legislative enforcement,
wish for every girl in our country what I wish
basic health care and nutrition and reorient
for my own daughters.
national literacy and school education pro
With these words, I wish your delibera
grammes to give greater focus to women andall success. We are dealing with a chal
tions
the girl child. We need to mobilize leaders of
lenging, burning societal issue. May your path
be blessed.
civil society, particularly the religious leaders,
for a nationwide campaign for ending all types

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