female foeticide essay in punjabi

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Punjabi Essay, Paragraph on "Female Feticide", "ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ " for Class 10, 11, 12 of Punjab Board, CBSE Students.

ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ  female  feticide.

ਭੁਮਿਕਾ- Introduction

ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਇੱਕ ਅਜਿਹੀ ਸਮਾਜਿਕ ਬੁਰਾਈ ਹੈ , ਜਿਹੜੀ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇਸ਼ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਲਾਹਨਤ ਦੇ ਬਰਾਬਰ ਹੈ । ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਫੁਰਮਾਇਆ ਸੀ ' ਸੋ ਕਿਉਂ ਮੰਦਾ ਆਖੀਏ ਜਿਤੁ ਜੰਮਹਿ ਰਾਜਾਨ।" ਭਾਰਤੀ ਸਮਾਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਔਰਤ ਨੂੰ ਦੇਵੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ । ਕੁਆਰੀਆਂ । ਛੋਟੀਆਂ ਬੱਚੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੰਜਕਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ । ਲੋਕ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ ਤੇ ਪੈਰ ਛੂੰਹਦੇ ਹਨ। ਇਹਨਾਂ ਕੰਜਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਗਰਭ ਵਿੱਚ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ , ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਜਨਮ ਹੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਲੈਣ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ , ਇਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ । ਇਹ ਬੁਰਾਈ ਪੁਰਾਣੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਤੋਂ ਚਲਦੀ ਆ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। ਮੱਧ ਕਾਲ ਦੇ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਜਦੋਂ ਕੁੜੀ ਪੈਦਾ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਸੀ ਤਾਂ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਕ ਚਟਾ ਕੇ ਜਾਂ ਹੋਰ ਕਿਸੇ ਤਰੀਕੇ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਖ਼ਤਮ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਸੀ । ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰਨ ਵੇਲੇ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਵੱਡੇ - ਵਡੇਰੇ ਕਹਿ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਸਨ , “ ਆਪ ਨਾ ਦੁਬਾਰਾ ਆਵੀਂ ਵੀਰਾ ਘੱਲੀ” ਇਸ ਦਾ ਮਤਲਬ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਤੂੰ ਦੁਬਾਰਾ ਨਾ ਜਨਮ ਲਈ ਤੇ ਭਰਾ ਨੂੰ ਭੇਜੀ । ਅਜੋਕੇ ਯੁੱਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਾਇੰਸ ਨੇ ਇੰਨੀ ਤਰੱਕੀ ਕਰ ਲਈ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਮਸ਼ੀਨਾਂ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਪਤਾ ਲੱਗ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਔਰਤ ਦੇ ਗਰਭ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੜਕਾ ਹੈ ਜਾਂ ਲੜਕੀ  ਲੜਕਾ ਚਾਹੁਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਲੜਕੀ ਨੂੰ ਜਨਮ ਦੇਣ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਸੇ ਧਰਮ ਜਾਂ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਦਾ ਕੋਈ ਡਰ ਨਹੀਂ ।ਹੋਰ ਤਾਂ ਹੋਰ ਜਿਹੜੀ ਔਰਤ ਦੋ ਜਾਂ ਤਿੰਨ ਲੜਕੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਜਨਮ ਦੇ ਦੇਵੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਕੋਸਣਾ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇੱਥੋਂ ਤੱਕ ਕਿ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਸੱਸਾਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਮੁੰਡੇ ਦੇ ਦੂਜੇ ਵਿਆਹ ਬਾਰੇ ਸੋਚਣਾ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰ ਦਿੰਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ ਕਿ ਸ਼ਾਇਦ ਲੜਕਾ ਹੋ ਜਾਵੇ

ਪੁੱਤਰ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਸਮਾਜਕ ਢਾਂਚੇ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰੀ-  Responsibility for son-oriented social structure

ਇਸ ਕੁਰੀਤੀ ਲਈ ਸਾਡਾ ਪਿੱਤਰ ਸਮਾਜ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰ ਹੈ । ਇਸ ਸਮਾਜ ਨੇ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਤੋਂ ਹੀ ਮੁੰਡੇ ਤੇ ਕੁੜੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਅੰਤਰ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਹੈ । ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਲਾਮ ਜਾਂ ਪੈਰ ਦੀ ਜੁੱਤੀ ਸਮਝਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਸੀ ਉਹ ਨਾ ਹੀ ਘਰ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਹਰ ਨਿਕਲਦੀਆਂ ਸਨ ਤੇ ਨਾ ਹੀ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਆਮਦਨ ਦਾ ਕੋਈ ਸਾਧਨ ਸੀ। ਉਹ ਹਰ ਚੀਜ਼ ਲਈ ਮਰਦ ਤੇ ਨਿਰਭਰ ਹੁੰਦੀਆਂ ਸਨ। ਮਰਦ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਉੱਪਰ ਰੋਅਬ ਪਾਉਣਾ ਆਪਣਾ ਹੱਕ ਸਮਝਦਾ ਸੀ । ਜੇ ਕਿਸੇ ਔਰਤ ਦੀ ਇੱਜ਼ਤ ਤੇ ਕੋਈ ਮਰਦ ਹੱਥ ਪਾਉਂਦਾ ਸੀ ਤਾਂ ਵੀ ਔਰਤ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਜਿੰਮੇਵਾਰ ਠਹਿਰਾਇਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਸੀ । ਮਰਦ ਇਸ ਗੁਨਾਹ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ਾਨ ਸਮਝਦੇ ਸਨ। ਇਸ ਦਾ ਨਤੀਜਾ ਵੀ ਔਰਤ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਭੁਗਤਣਾ ਪੈਂਦਾ ਸੀ , ਸਰੀਰਕ ਅਤੇ ਸਮਾਜਿਕ ਤੌਰ ਤੇ ਮੁਸੀਬਤ ਔਰਤ ਲਈ ਹੀ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਸੀ । ਪੁਰਾਣੇ ਜ਼ਮਾਨੇ ਦੇ ਰਾਜੇ , ਮਹਾਰਾਜੇ ਕਈ - ਕਈ ਰਾਈਆਂ ਰੱਖਣ ਦੇ ਸ਼ੌਕੀਨ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ ।

ਕੁੜੀ ਦੇ ਵਿਆਹ ਨੂੰ ਸਮੱਸਿਆ ਸਮਝਣਾ-  Understand the problem of girl's marriage

ਸਾਡੇ ਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਦਾਜ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਥਾ ਪ੍ਰਚਲੱਤ ਹੋਣ ਕਰਕੇ ਲੋਕ ਕੁੜੀ ਦੇ ਵਿਆਹ ਨੂੰ ਸਮੱਸਿਆ ਸਮਝਦੇ ਹਨ । ਅੱਜ ਦੇ ਜ਼ਮਾਨੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੱਧ ਵਰਗੀ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ  ਲਈ ਕੁੜੀ ਦਾ ਵਿਆਹ ਕਰਨਾ ਔਖਾ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ । ਗ਼ਰੀਬ ਤਾਂ ਬੁਰੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਪੀਸੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ।  ਵਿਆਹ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਰਸਮਾਂ ਦਾ ਖ਼ਰਚਾ ਦਿਨ-ਪ੍ਰਤੀਦਿਨ ਵੱਧਦਾ ਹੀ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ । ਲੋਕ ਇੱਕ ਦੂਸਰੇ ਨੂੰ ਦੇਖਾ - ਦੇਖੀ ਹੀ ਇਸ ਬੁਰਾਈ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਾਧਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ।  ਆਮ ਆਦਮੀ ਕਿਧਰੋਂ ਨਾ ਕਿਧਰੋਂ ਧੰਨ ਇਕੱਠਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਧੀ ਦਾ ਵਿਆਹ ਕਰ ਦਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ , ਪਰ ਫਿਰ ਵੀ ਸਹੁਰੇ ਘਰ ਜਾ ਕੇ ਧੀ ਨੂੰ ਤਾਹਨੇ ਸੁਣਨੇ ਪੈਂਦੇ ਹਨ । ਜੇ ਸਹੁਰੇ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਤੰਗ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ ਤਾਂ ਲੜਕੀ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਵੀ ਤਲਾਕ ਲੈਣ ਦਾ ਕਦਮ ਨਹੀਂ ਉਠਾ ਸਕਦੀ । ਇਸ ਦਾ ਪਹਿਲਾ ਕਾਰਨ ਇਹ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਦੁਬਾਰਾ ਜਲਦੀ ਕੋਈ ਵੀ ਉਸ ਲੜਕੀ ਨਾਲ ਸ਼ਾਦੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦਾ । ਦੂਸਰਾ ਦੁਬਾਰਾ ਸ਼ਾਦੀ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਮਾਪਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਫਿਰ ਤੋਂ ਦਾਜ ਦੇਣਾ ਪੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ । ਇਸ ਦਾ ਨਤੀਜਾ ਇਹ ਨਿਕਲਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਮਾਂ - ਬਾਪ ਧੀ ਦੇ ਜਨਮ ਤੇ ਹੀ ਰੋਕ ਲਗਾ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਵਿਗਿਆਨ ਦੀਆਂ ਕਾਢਾਂ ਦਾ ਅਸਰ- ਵਿਗਿਆਨ ਨੇ ਇਹੋ ਜਿਹੀਆਂ ਮਸ਼ੀਨਾਂ ਬਣਾ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ ਹਨ ਜੋ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਲੜਕੇ ਤੇ ਲੜਕੀ ਬਾਰੇ ਦੱਸ ਦਿੰਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ । ਅਲਟਰਾ ਸਾਊਂਡ ਸਿਸਟਮ ਰਾਹੀਂ  ਅੱਠ ਹਫ਼ਤੇ ਦੇ ਗਰਭ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੀ ਲਿੰਗ ਪਰਖ ਸੰਭਵ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ । ਇਸ ਮਸ਼ੀਨ ਦੀ ਕਾਢ ਤਾਂ ਇਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਹੋਈ ਸੀ ਕਿ ਬੱਚੇ ਦੀ ਸਿਹਤ ਬਾਰੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਪਤਾ ਲਗਾਇਆ ਜਾ ਸਕੇ ਪਰ ਭਾਰਤ  ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਦੀ ਵਰਤੋਂ ਗਲਤ ਢੰਗਾਂ ਲਈ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੀ । ਇਹਨਾਂ ਗਲਤ ਢੰਗਾਂ ਦੀ ਵਰਤੋਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਡਾਕਟਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਸਹਿਯੋਗ ਦਿੱਤਾ ।ਡਾਕਟਰ ਆਪਣੇ ਨੈਤਿਕ ਫਰਜ਼ਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਭੁੱਲ ਕੇ ਪੈਸਾ ਕਮਾਉਣ ਦੇ ਤਰੀਕੇ ਵਧਾਉਣ ਲੱਗ ਪਏ । ਡਾਕਟਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਤਾਂ ਰੱਬ ਦਾ ਰੂਪ  ਮੰਨਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਉਹ ਮਰਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਬੰਦੇ ਦੀ ਜਾਨ ਬਚਾਉਂਦੇ ਹਨ। ਪੈਸਾ ਕਮਾਉਣ  ਖ਼ਾਤਰ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਥਾਂ- ਥਾਂ ਤੇ ਟੈਸਟ ਸੈਂਟਰ ਖੋਲ੍ਹ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਅਤੇ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਭਰੁਣ ਨੂੰ ਗਰਭ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੁਕਾਉਣ ਦੀਆਂ ਸਹੂਲਤਾਂ ਵੀ ਦੇ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ। ਡਾਕਟਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਵਿਗਿਆਪਨ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਤੇ ਲਿੰਗ ਟੈਸਟ ਕਰਵਾਓ ਤੇ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਹੋ ਜਾਓ ਆਦਿ ਦੇ ਨਾਹਰੇ ਦੇ ਕੇ ਕਈ ਬੱਚੀਆਂ ਗਰਭ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੀ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ  ਸਰਕਾਰ ਸਮਾਂ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹੀ ਸੁਚੇਤ ਹੋ ਗਈ । ਕੁੱਝ ਮਾਂ ਬਾਪਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਇਸ ਪਾਪ ਤੋਂ ਡਰ ਲੱਗਣ ਲੱਗ ਪਿਆ ਤਾਂ ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਘੱਟ ਹੋ ਗਈ ।ਹਰਿਆਣਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਜੇ ਵੀ ਸਥਿਤੀ ਭਿਆਨਕ ਹੈ ।ਉੱਥੇ 1000 ਮਰਦਾਂ ਦੇ ਮੁਕਾਬਲੇ 874 ਔਰਤਾਂ ਹਨ। ਸਰਵੇਖਣ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਹਰ ਰਾਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਮਰਦਾਂ ਦੇ ਮੁਕਾਬਲੇ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਘੱਟ ਹਨ। 

ਔਰਤਾਂ ਤੇ ਅਪਰਾਧ ਵੱਲ ਇੱਕ ਹੋਰ ਕਦਮ- Another step towards crime against women

ਜੇ ਮਰਦ ਤੇ ਔਰਤ ਬਰਾਬਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋਣਗੇ ਤਾਂ ਇਸ ਦਾ ਨੁਕਸਾਨ ਵੀ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਹੈ। ਉਹ ਸਮਾਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋ ਸਕਣਗੀਆਂ । ਸਰੀਰਕ ਅਪਰਾਧ ਹੋਰ ਵੱਧਣ ਦੀ ।  ਸੰਭਾਵਨਾ ਹੈ । ਸਖ਼ਤ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ- ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਕੁਰੀਤੀ ਨੂੰ ਖ਼ਤਮ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ  100 % ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ । 1994 ਵਿੱਚ ਬਣੇ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਇਸ ਕੁਰੀਤੀ ਦੇ ਗੁਨਾਹਗਾਰ ਡਾਕਟਰਾਂ ਤੇ ਮਾਂ - ਬਾਪ ਨੂੰ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਸਜ਼ਾਵਾਂ ਦੇਣ ਦਾ ਹੁਕਮ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ ਜਿੱਥੇ - ਜਿੱਥੇ ਵੀ ਅਲਟਰਾ ਸਾਉਂਡ ਦੀਆਂ ਮਸ਼ੀਨਾਂ ਲਗਾਈਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ ਹਨ ਉੱਥੇ ਖ਼ਾਸ ਨਿਗਰਾਨੀ ਰੱਖੀ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ ।  ਲੋਕ ਅਜੇ ਵੀ ਨਿਡਰ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਇਹ ਕੰਮ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਸ਼ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਸਿਹਤ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦੀ ਅਤੇ ਜ਼ਿਲਿਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੀਨੀਅਰ ਮੈਡੀਕਲ ਅਫ਼ਸਰ ਦੀ ਡਿਊਟੀ ਬਣਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਸੁਚੇਤ ਰਹਿਣ ਤੇ । ਇਸ ਕੰਮ ਨੂੰ ਰੋਕਣ ਲਈ ਸਖ਼ਤੀ ਵਰਤਣ ਇਸ ਗੱਲ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰ ਟੈਲੀਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਤੇ ਬਾਰ - ਬਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ ਕਿ ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਸਜ਼ਾਵਾਂ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ ਜਾਣਗੀਆਂ । 

ਸਾਰ - ਅੰਸ਼ -  Summary

ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਇੱਕ ਬਹੁਤ ਵੱਡਾ ਪਾਪ ਹੈ । ਸਮਾਜ ਸੇਵੀ ਸੰਸਥਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਗੇ ਆ ਕੇ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਕੁਰੀਤੀ ਤੋਂ ਮੁਕਤ ਕਰਵਾਉਣਾ ਪਵੇਗਾ । ਬੁੱਧੀ - ਜੀਵੀ ਵਰਗ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ। ਕਿ ਉਹ ਆਪਣੇ ਲੇਖਾਂ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਇਸ ਅਤਿਆਚਾਰ ਵਿਰੁੱਧ ਅਵਾਜ਼ ਚੁੱਕਣ । ਦਾਜ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਥਾ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਖ਼ਤਮ ਕਰ ਦੇਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ । ਸਮਾਜ ਦੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦਾ ਫਰਜ਼ ਬਣਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਕੁੜੀ ਤੇ ਮੁੰਡੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੋਈ ਫ਼ਰਕ ਨਾ ਕਰਨ। ਜਿਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਮੁੰਡਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਜਨਮ ਸਮੇਂ ਸ਼ਗਨ ਕੀਤੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ , ਉਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਕੁੜੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਜਨਮ ਸਮੇਂ ਵੀ ਖੁਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਮਨਾਉਣੀਆਂ ਸਮਾਜ ਦਾ ਪੁਰਾਣੀਆਂ ਪਰੰਪਰਾਵਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਮੁਕਤ ਹੋਣਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਜਰੂਰੀ ਹੈ। ਸਮੇਂ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਹੈ ਸਮਾਜ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਉਚਿਤ ਸਥਾਨ ਦੇਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਹੀ ਸਮਾਜ ਦੀ ਉਸਾਰੀ ਸੰਭਵ ਹੈ । ਜਿੱਥੇ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਬੁਰਾ ਵਰਤਾਓ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ ' ਉਸ ਘਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਤਾਂ ਦੇਵਤੇ ਵੀ ਨਿਵਾਸ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦੇ। ਇਸ ਲਈ ਬੜਾ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਨੂੰ ਰੋਕਿਆ ਜਾਵੇ ।

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• 1. ਮੁਹਾਵਰੇ, ਅਖਾਣ ਤੇ ਉਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਵਰਤੋਂ
• 2. ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਗੇਤਰ-ਪਿਛੇਤਰ ਦੀ ਜਾਣ -ਪਛਾਣ
• 3. ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਾਂਵ ਦੀ ਜਾਣ -ਪਛਾਣ
• 4. ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੜਨਾਂਵ ਦੀ ਜਾਣ -ਪਛਾਣ
• 5. ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ਣ ਦੀ ਜਾਣ -ਪਛਾਣ
• 6. ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਿਰਿਆ ਦੀ ਜਾਣ -ਪਛਾਣ
• 7. ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੰਬੰਧਕ ਦੀ ਜਾਣ -ਪਛਾਣ
• 8. ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿਸਮਿਕ ਦੀ ਜਾਣ -ਪਛਾਣ
• 9. ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿਸਰਾਮ ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹ ਦੀ ਜਾਣ -ਪਛਾਣ
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ਲੇਖ : ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ

ਜਾਣ-ਪਛਾਣ : ਸਾਡਾ ਦੇਸ਼ ਸੱਚ ਅਤੇ ਅਹਿੰਸਾ ਦਾ ਪੁਜਾਰੀ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਸਾਡੀ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਸਰਬੱਤ ਦੇ ਭਲੇ ਲਈ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ ਪਰ ਬਾਵਜੂਦ ਇਸ ਦੇ, ਇਸ ਸ਼ਾਂਤੀ, ਸੱਚ ਅਤੇ ਅਹਿੰਸਾ ਦੇ ਅਲੰਬਰਦਾਰ ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੇ ਮੱਥੇ ਉਤੇ ਇੱਕ ਸਮਾਜਕ ਕਲੰਕ ਲੱਗ ਚੁੱਕਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਕਲੰਕ ਨੂੰ ‘ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ’ ਦਾ ਨਾਂ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਅੱਜ ਵਿਕਸਤ ਪ੍ਰਾਂਤਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ‘ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ’ ਦਾ ਅਮਾਨਵੀ ਕਰਮ ਪ੍ਰਚੰਡ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਵਰਗਾ ਕੁਕਰਮ ਸਾਡੇ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਨਵੀਂ ਸਮਾਜਕ ਚੁਣੌਤੀ ਹੈ। ਪੁਰਾਣੇ ਸਮਿਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਤੀ ਪ੍ਰਥਾ, ਬਾਲ-ਵਿਆਹ ਵਰਗੀਆਂ ਪ੍ਰਥਾਵਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਚੱਲਤ ਸਨ ਅਤੇ ਜੰਮਦੀ ਕੁੜੀ ਦਾ ਗਲਾ ਘੁੱਟ ਕੇ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਸੀ ਪਰ ਹੁਣ ਕੁੜੀ ਨੂੰ ਜਨਮ ਲੈਣ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਮਾਂ ਦੀ ਕੁੱਖ ਵਿੱਚ ਮਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।

ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦਾ ਅਰਥ : ਗਰਭਵਤੀ ਮਾਂ ਦੀ ਕੁੱਖ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿਕਸਤ ਹੋ ਰਿਹਾ ਬੱਚਾ ਜਦੋਂ ਅੱਠ ਹਫ਼ਤਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਤਾਂ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ‘ਭਰੂਣ’ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਸਮੇਂ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਅੰਗ ਅਰਥਾਤ ਲਿੰਗ ਵੀ ਪਛਾਣਿਆ ਜਾ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜਦੋਂ ਇਸਨੂੰ ਗਰਭਪਾਤ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਖ਼ਤਮ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਤਾਂ ਇਸਨੂੰ ‘ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ’ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਪਰ ਅੱਜ ਸਾਡੇ ਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਮਾਦਾ ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਹੀ ਹੋ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। ਭਾਵ ਜੇਕਰ ਪੇਟ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਲਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਬੱਚਾ ਮਾਦਾ (ਲੜਕੀ) ਹੈ ਤਾਂ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਖ਼ਤਮ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।

ਮਾਦਾ ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੇ ਕਾਰਨ : ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਮੂਲ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਔਰਤ ਦੀ ਹੋਂਦ ਨਾਲ ਸਬੰਧਿਤ ਸਮੱਸਿਆ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਦੇ ਪਿਛੋਕੜ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਤੀ ਪ੍ਰਥਾ, ਬਾਲ-ਵਿਆਹ, ਮੁੰਡੇ ਦੀ ਇੱਛਾ, ਦਾਜ ਦੀ ਲਾਹਨਤ, ਸਮਾਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਦੀ ਭਾਵਨਾ ਆਦਿ ਕਈ ਕਾਰਨ ਹਨ। ਇਸ ਲਈ ਇਹ ਔਰਤ ਨਾਲ ਸੰਬੰਧਿਤ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰੀਆਂ ਤੋਂ ਭੱਜਣ ਦਾ ਸੌਖਾ ਤਰੀਕਾ ਸਮਝਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸੇ ਸੋਚ ਨੇ ਹੀ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ-ਪਹਿਲ ਕੁੜੀ ਨੂੰ ਜੰਮਦਿਆਂ ਵੇਲੇ ਹੀ ਮਾਰ-ਮੁਕਾਉਣ ਦਾ ਤਰੀਕਾ ਲੱਭਿਆ ਤੇ ਬਾਅਦ ਵਿੱਚ ਜਨਮ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਖ਼ਾਤਮਾ ਕਰ ਦੇਣ ਦਾ। ਅਜਿਹਾ ਅਲਟਰਾ – ਸਾਊਂਡ ਸਕੈਨ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਨਰ ਜਾਂ ਮਾਦਾ ਭਰੂਣ ਦਾ ਪਤਾ ਲੱਗ ਜਾਣ ਕਾਰਨ ਹੀ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੰਭਵ ਹੈ।

ਗਿਆਨ-ਵਿਗਿਆਨ ਦੀ ਦੁਰਵਰਤੋਂ : ‘ਅਲਟਰਾ-ਸਾਊਂਡ ਸਕੈਨ’ ਜੋ ਕਿ ਸਰੀਰ ਦੀਆਂ ਅੰਦਰੂਨੀ ਬਿਮਾਰੀਆਂ ਤੇ ਨੁਕਸਾਂ ਦਾ ਪਤਾ ਲਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਬਣਾਈ ਗਈ ਸੀ ਪਰ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਦੀ ਵਰਤੋਂ ਭਰੂਣ ਦੇ ਨਰ ਜਾਂ ਮਾਦਾ ਹੋਣ ਦੀ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਲੈਣ ਲਈ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੀ। ਇਸ ਕਿੱਤੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਰੁੱਝੇ ਵਪਾਰੀ ਬਿਰਤੀ ਵਾਲੇ ਮਾਹਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਕਮਾਈ ਕਰਨੀ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੀ। ਮਾਦਾ ਭਰੂਣ ਦੀ ਸੂਚਨਾ ਮਿਲਣ ‘ਤੇ ਇਸ ਦੀ ਸਫ਼ਾਈ ਕਰਵਾਏ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਸਹੂਲਤ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਜਾਣ ਲੱਗ ਪਈ। ਸਿੱਟੇ ਵਜੋਂ ਹੌਲੀ-ਹੌਲੀ ਅਲਟਰਾ-ਸਾਊਂਡ ਸਕੈਨ ਕੇਂਦਰ ਤੇ ਨਰਸਿੰਗ ਹੋਮ ਥਾਂ-ਥਾਂ ‘ਤੇ ਖੁੱਲ੍ਹ ਗਏ। ਹੌਲੀ-ਹੌਲੀ ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੇ ਕਿੱਤੇ ਨੇ ਸਮਾਜ ਦੇ ਭਵਿੱਖ ਦੀ ਭਿਆਨਕ ਤਸਵੀਰ ਪੇਸ਼ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੀ।

ਜੀਵ ਹੱਤਿਆ : ਸਮੇਂ ਦਾ ਸੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਵੇਲਾ ਸੀ ਜਦੋਂ ਸਾਡੇ ਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਜੇਕਰ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਵੱਡੀ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡੀ ਸਹੁੰ ਖਵਾਉਣੀ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਤਾਂ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਸੀ ਕਿ ਪਿੱਪਲ ਦਾ ਇੱਕ ਪੱਤਾ ਤੋੜਿਆ ਜਾਵੇ। ਫਿਰ ਇੱਥੇ ਬਿੱਲੀ ਮਾਰਨ ਜਾਂ ਗਊ ਮਾਰਨ ਨੂੰ ਮਹਾਂ-ਪਾਪ ਸਮਝਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਸੀ। ਇੱਥੇ ਹਰ ਜੀਵ ਆਤਮਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦਾ ਵਾਸਾ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਸੀ ਤਾਂ ਕੀ ਮਾਦਾ ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕੁਦਰਤ ਦੀ, ਕੁਦਰਤ ਦੇ ਕਾਦਰ ਦੀ ਤੋਹੀਨ ਨਹੀਂ। ਜ਼ਰਾ ਸੋਚੋ ਕਿ ਜੇਕਰ ਔਰਤ ਨਾ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਤਾਂ ਕੀ ਹੁੰਦਾ ? ਇਸ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਕਿਸੇ ਸ਼ਾਇਰ ਨੇ ਠੀਕ ਹੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਹੈ

…ਗਰ ਔਰਤ ਨਾ ਹੋਤੀ ਬਾਗ਼ੋ-ਆਲਮ ਮੇਂ; ਤੋ ਕਿਆ ਹੋਤਾ ? ਸਾਰਾ ਆਲਮ ਏਕ ਨੁਕਤੇ ਪੇ ਸਿਮਟ ਕੇ ਰਹਿ ਗਿਆ ਹੋਤਾ।

ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਰਿਸ਼ੀਆਂ-ਮੁਨੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਔਰਤ ਨੂੰ ‘ਮਾਤਰੀ ਸ਼ਕਤੀ’ ਕਹਿ ਕੇ ਸਨਮਾਨਿਆ ਹੈ। ਔਰਤ ਨੂੰ ਦੇਵੀ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਕਤੀ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਵਰਤਮਾਨ ਸਮਾਜ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹੁਣ ਜਨਮ ਲੈਣ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਮਾਰ-ਮੁਕਾਉਣ ‘ਤੇ ਤੁਲਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਹੀ ਵੱਡੀ ਤੇ ਗੰਭੀਰ ਸਮਾਜਕ ਬੁਰਾਈ ਹੈ। ਸਮਾਜ ‘ਚ ਅਜਿਹੀ ਸੋਚ ਬਦਲਣ ਦੀ ਅਹਿਮ ਲੋੜ ਹੈ।

ਔਰਤ ਉਤੇ ਜ਼ੁਲਮ : ਭਾਵੇਂ ਵਿਗਿਆਨ ਨੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਤਰੱਕੀ ਕਰ ਲਈ ਹੈ ਪਰ ਅੱਜ ਵੀ ਔਰਤ ਉੱਤੇ ਤਸ਼ੱਦਦ ਵਧ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਜਿਵੇਂ ਕਤਲ, ਬਲਾਤਕਾਰ, ਸਾੜ ਦੇਣਾ, ਵੇਸਵਾਪਣ, ਦਾਜ ਦੀ ਬਲੀ, ਤਲਾਕ, ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਤਾਂ ਆਮ ਜਿਹੀਆਂ ਗੱਲਾਂ ਹੋ ਗਈਆਂ ਹਨ। ਅੱਜ ਔਰਤ ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਉਮਰ ਵਿੱਚ, ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਥਾਂ ‘ਤੇ ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਹਾਲਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਸਥਿਤੀ ਵੀ ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਨੂੰ ਉਤਸ਼ਾਹਿਤ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ।

ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਨੂੰ ਰੋਕਣ ਲਈ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਉਪਰਾਲੇ : 2001 ਈ: ਦੀ ਮਰਦਮਸ਼ੁਮਾਰੀ ਦੇ ਅੰਕੜਿਆਂ ਨੇ ਨਰ ਅਤੇ ਮਾਦਾ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਪਾਤ ਨੂੰ ਚਿੰਤਾਜਨਕ ਸਥਿਤੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੇਸ਼ ਕੀਤਾ। ਔਰਤਾਂ ਦੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਮਰਦਾਂ ਦੇ ਮੁਕਾਬਲੇ ਹਰ ਸਾਲ ਘਟ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਕਿ ਭਵਿੱਖ ਲਈ ਖ਼ਤਰੇ ਦੀ ਘੰਟੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਲਈ 1994 ਈ: ਵਿੱਚ ਹੀ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੇ ਭਰੂਣ ਦੇ ਨਰ ਜਾਂ ਮਾਦਾ ਦੇ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੋਣ ਦੀ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਦੇਣ ਦੀ ਸੰਭਾਵਨਾ ਵਾਲੀ ਸੂਚਨਾ ਤਕਨਾਲੋਜੀ ‘ਤੇ ਰੋਕ ਲਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਪ੍ਰੀ-ਨੇਟਲ ਡਾਇਆਗਨੋਸਟਿਕ ਟੈਕਨਾਲੋਜੀ ਐਕਟ ਬਣਾਇਆ ਪਰ ਇਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਤਸੱਲੀਬਖਸ਼ ਸਿੱਟੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਨਾ ਹੋਏ। ਫਿਰ ਸਮੇਂ-ਸਮੇਂ ਸਮਾਜਕ ਜਥੇਬੰਦੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਸਹਿਯੋਗ ਨਾਲ ਜਸਟਿਸ ਕਮੇਟੀਆਂ ਬਣਾਈਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ। ਸੁਪਰੀਮ ਕੋਰਟ ਦੀ ਦਖਲਅੰਦਾਜ਼ੀ ਹੋਣ ਲੱਗ ਪਈ।

ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਰੋਕਣ ਦੇ ਸੁਝਾਅ : ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਰੋਕਣ ਲਈ ਸੁਝਾਅ ਇਹ ਹਨ :

ਲਿੰਗ ਨਿਰਧਾਰਨ ਟੈਸਟ ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਤੌਰ ‘ਤੇ ਮੁਕੰਮਲ ਬੰਦ ਕੀਤੇ ਜਾਣ। ਫਿਰ ਵੀ ਜੇਕਰ ਕੋਈ ਸ਼ੱਕ ਜਾਂ ਸ਼ਿਕਾਇਤ ਆਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਸਬੰਧਿਤ ਹਸਪਤਾਲ ਜਾਂ ਕਲੀਨਿਕ ਬੰਦ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ। ਸਕੂਲਾਂ – ਕਾਲਜਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਨੈਤਿਕ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਜਾਵੇ। ਦਹੇਜ-ਵਿਰੋਧੀ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਬਿੱਲ ਪਾਸ ਕੀਤੇ ਜਾਣ। ਬਲਾਤਕਾਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਤੋਂ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਸਜਾਵਾਂ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ ਜਾਣ। ਪਰੰਪਰਾਗਤ ਸੋਚ ਨੂੰ ਬਦਲਿਆ ਜਾਵੇ ਤੇ ਮੁੰਡੇ-ਕੁੜੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੋਈ ਅੰਤਰ ਨਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ। ਗਰਭਪਾਤ ਕਰਨ ਤੇ ਕਰਾਉਣ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੱਧ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ ਜੁਰਮਾਨਾ ਤੇ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਹੋਵੇ। ਭਰੂਣ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੀ ਖ਼ਬਰ ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਦਾ ਨਾਂ ਗੁਪਤ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਇਨਾਮ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ। ਡਾਕਟਰੀ ਸਹੂਲਤਾਂ ਦੀ ਦੁਰਵਰਤੋਂ ‘ਤੇ ਰੋਕ ਲਾਈ ਜਾਵੇ। ਪਿੰਡਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਹਿਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਸ ਵਿਸ਼ੇ ‘ਤੇ ਸੈਮੀਨਾਰ ਕਰਵਾ ਕੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਿੱਖਿਅਤ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ। ਔਰਤ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਾਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੂਰਾ ਇੱਜ਼ਤ-ਮਾਣ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ।

ਸਾਰੰਸ਼ : ਅੰਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਹ ਹੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਜਾਇਜ਼ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ। ਸਾਨੂੰ ਆਪਣੀ ਸੋਚ ਬਦਲਣੀ ਪਵੇਗੀ। ਅਜਿਹਾ ਨਾ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਸੂਰਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਾਰਨ ਆਉਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਭਵਿੱਖ ਵਿੱਚ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਤਾਂ ਨਾਂ-ਮਾਤਰ ਹੀ ਰਹਿ ਜਾਣਗੀਆਂ, ਜਿਸਦੇ ਸਿੱਟੇ ਵਜੋਂ ਸਾਡੇ ਸਮਾਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਤੀ ਅਪਰਾਧਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੋਰ ਵਾਧਾ ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਸਮਾਜ ਦੀਆਂ ਨੈਤਿਕ ਤੇ ਮਾਨਵੀ ਕਦਰਾਂ-ਕੀਮਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਢਾਹ ਲੱਗ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਲਈ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਪ੍ਰਣ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਅਸੀਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਸਮਾਜ ਦੇ, ਤੋਂ ਭਰੂਣ-ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੇ ਕਲੰਕ ਨੂੰ ਬਹੁਤ ਛੇਤੀ ਮਿਟਾਉਣਾ ਹੈ।

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Female Feticide & Infanticide Plagues Sikh & Punjabi Communities

by Lakhpreet Kaur

Undoubtedly, the Sikh Gurus championed women and fought to create a society where everyone, regardless of sex and gender, could thrive and flourish. Despite this however, female feticide and infanticide continues to plague Sikh and Punjabi communities across the globe. This article explores the statistics, history, cultural attitudes, and possible solutions to female feticide and infanticide.

Mentions violence against girls and women.  

As a majority Sikhs live in Punjab , this article will be exploring Punjabi statistics and practices. 

Female Feticide & Infanticide Plagues Sikh & Punjabi Communities  

In late 2021, comedian Vir Das delivered his “Two Indias” monologue where he highlighted the hypocrisy, contradictions, and duality of Indian society. “I come from an India where we worship women during the day and gang rape them at night.” The violence against women Vir Das references sadly starts, for many women and girls, in the womb or crib, via female feticide and infanticide . And despite strong Sikh values against such practices, it still plagues our community , from Punjab to the UK to Canada and beyond .  

A recent report showed that sex ratio at birth (SRB) nationwide in India has been significantly dropping since at least the 1970s. The National Family Health Survey of  2020-21 showed that Punjab’s SRB had improved slightly in the last five years but remained below the national average. According to the survey, the sex ratio at birth is 858 females to 1000 males in urban areas and 931 females to 1000 males in rural areas of Punjab. (Ideal and natural numbers are closer to 1000 females to 1000 males). 

Families employee various methods to ensure their child is male like pre-conception sex-selection, prenatal sex-determining ultrasounds, and sex-selective abortions. When mothers are unwilling to undergo such procedures, they are often violently coerced . This violence against mothers and baby girls further leads to violence against unwed women.  Shocking headlines like, “Families ‘buying’ girls as marriage crisis deepens” illustrate how, “decades of female feticide have finally caught up with Punjab and Haryana, ” leading to human trafficking of women . 

Why do Sikhs & Punjabis Engage in Female Infanticide & Feticide? 

Why are girl fetuses and infants more likely to be aborted and killed? The answer lies within the patriarchy and how family life is structured in South Asia. There is an entrenched daughter aversion in Indian society which incentivizes the devaluation of women and girls.

“Many women and men earnestly fail to see the possibility of raising a daughter who can proudly carry the family name, support her parents in old age without ridicule, and live without fear of violence against her body, and the associated pain and shame for her family,” writes activist Mallika Kaur . 

Thus, for family survival, girls are seen as a liability : they will not continue the paternal lineage; it is presumed women will leave their birth home upon marriage; dowries are central to weddings; and women are not expected to take care of aging parents. In her married home, a woman will be shunned if she births a daughter. “Hence, the birth of a girl child is seen as a death knell more often than not, even today in most parts of India,” writes journalist Siddhi Shah . 

This is echoed in the Punjabi saying, “Raising a daughter is like watering your neighbors’ garden,” implying that any investment made into a girl’s life will only benefit her in-laws and not her family of origin.  

History of Discrimination Against Girls and Women 

1700s & 1800s

High rates of female mortality and the neglect of girls in India have been documented since at least the late 1700s, particularly in the northern Indian states.  British colonialists say they discovered the practice of female infanticide in the late 1700s and early 1800s during which it quickly became the topic of many correspondences within Punjabi British circles. 

In 1851, the Deputy Commissioner of Gurdaspur District, Major E Lake, wrote to his government stating, “The practice of killing newborn girls is not just prevalent among the Rajputs, but among the Sikhs too.” An observation which was echoed by the Commissioner of Jullundur Doab John Lawrence who said a delegation of Bedi Sikhs approached him with a petition to allow them to kill their newborn girls. “The rationale was that the Bedis belonged to the highest caste and could not marry off their girls into any other caste, and that they had been doing it for four centuries. He warned them against the practice and reminded them that their religion [Sikhi] did not allow it. ‘It will be considered murder. I will hang each one of you found involved in female infanticide.’”  

The British pointed to caste pride (as noted above), poverty, and dowry as the leading causes of female infanticide. They argued that resulting skewed sex-ratio exacerbated female discrimination leading to more female infanticide, child marriage, exuberant dowries, bride-prices, and polyandry. 

In an attempt to curb female infanticide, the British passed the Act of 1870 , though it had little success. It was noted that even if a girl’s death was prevented, her quality of life was not ensured: “…there is, no doubt that, as a rule, she receives less attention than would be bestowed upon a son. She is less warmly clad, and less carefully rubbed with mustard oil as a prophylactic against cold and chills to which the greater part of the mortality amongst children in India is due: she is probably not so well fed as a boy would be, and when ill her parents are not likely to make the same strenuous efforts to ensure her recovery,” wrote Professor Barbara Miller.   

Interestingly, some scholars argue that the prevalence of female infanticide may have been exaggerated by the British and could have been used as political capital in order to condone political and military policies. “[The British] could retro-actively justify the two unsanctioned bloody wars with the Sikhs that led to the annexation of their rich and fertile  kingdom…” wrote Dr. Yogesh Snehi . 

Did the British Exacerbate Son-Preference?

While human rights violations against girls and women in South Asia have been perpetrated for centuries , some scholars believe that British colonialism exacerbated women’s declining rights. Professor Veena Talwar Odenberg argues that while the British made gestures at curbing female infanticide, their policies actually “masculinized” Punjabi economy in a way that made male children even more desirable. She argues that the colonial state and the large-scale, long-term effect of its agrarian development and revenue policies transformed Punjab into an “unambiguously masculine domain where, of necessity, fewer women would survive.” 

British colonial policies regarding land ownership, agrarian commercialization, reinforcement of class differentiation, heavy and frequent taxation, and demanding the cultivation of certain crops “mauled the social fabric of Punjab”.  Furthermore, imperial policies encouraged “lower” castes to become “upwardly mobile” which lead to the emulating of behaviors associated with “high” castes, including female infanticide and dowry. The British had created, Odenberg argues, a culture where having boys and male heirs lead to “better” marriage prospects, wealth, land, and pension. https://bit.ly/3zqN9xk

Fast forward to the 20th century where boy-child preference is now firmly entrenched in Indian culture. Prior to the 1970s, female infanticide was the “preferred” way of killing a girl child, notes a review in the journal Genetics in Medicine .  In the 1970s, India was introduced to amniocentesis – a technology that tests amniotic fluid around a developing fetus for genetic abnormalities. Soon, people realized this method could be used to determine the sex of the child which then lead to female abortions. Then came the less invasive and cheaper ultrasound machine which facilitated more sex-selective abortions.  

With the prevalence of the ultrasound, a “… thriving market for sex selection sprung up with doctors openly advertising their services,” writers journalist Priyanka Pulla . In response, the government introduced the Prenatal Diagnostics Techniques Act in 1994 which penalized healthcare professionals for telling expectant parents the sex of a child. In 2003, when technologies that allowed sex-selection prior to conception became available, the act was amended to become the Prenatal Conception and Prenatal Determination Act. However, as documented by statistic, this act has not had its intended consequences of preventing sex-selective abortions of females. 

In 2011, a study in Lancet , found that up to 12 million cases of female feticide had occurred in the last 30 years.

In 2012, Punjab cabinet officials implemented the Bebe Nanki Laadli Beti Scheme for low-income families. Under this plan, each girl children would receive some health care, education and cash. While we were unable to find any reported outcomes, Social Security Minister Mr. Surjit Kumar Jayani said the Scheme has had positive results . 

In 2015, the Ministry of Women and Child Development introduced a scheme, Beti Bachao , Beti Padhao Yojana (save girl child, educate girl child scheme). The main objective was to prevent gender biased sex-selective elimination, ensure survival and protection of girl child, and ensuring education and participation of the girl child. Unfortunately, in 2021, The Comptroller and Auditor General of India reported that the scheme failed to meet its objectives. 

The Sikh Response 

The Gurus: 1469 – 1699

Female infanticide in Punjab has not gone unnoticed by Sikhs. Prabhjot Kaur wrote for Sikh Thought documenting the numerous times the Sikh Gurus spoke out against the practice: 

The Gurus placed an injunction prohibiting the killing of girls. Guru Hargobind Sahib, realizing the positive role of daughters, requested his mother to pray for the birth of a daughter, writing “ A family without a modest girl is doomed. ” It is said that Guru Har Rai , found an abandoned baby girl and adopted her. In Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s letter to the Sikhs of Kabul, he ordained them not to have any social relationship with a person who kills their daughters. 

Guru Granth Sahib:

Guru Granth Sahib also expresses the evil nature of killing a baby girl:  

ਬ੍ਰਹਮਣ ਕੈਲੀ ਘਾਤੁ ਕੰਞਕਾ ਅਣਚਾਰੀ ਕਾ ਧਾਨੁ ॥

Barahmaṇ kailī gẖāṯ kañkā aṇcẖārī kā ḏẖān.

If you kill a Brahmin, or a cow, or a baby girl, or accept the offering of a sinner…

ਫਿਟਕ ਫਿਟਕਾ ਕੋੜੁ ਬਦੀਆ ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ॥

Fitak fitkā koṛ baḏīā saḏā saḏā abẖimān.

…you fall from grace in the eyes of the world; the world looks at you as if you’re a leper because of the bad deeds you’ve done. While you might think you have done something great and are filled with ego, the world thinks otherwise.

~ Revealed to Guru Amar Das Sahib, Ang 1413  

Click here for a deeper interpretation of this shabad.

Sikhs in History

Beyond the Gurus, various Sikh rehat-namas prohibit kuri-mar or female infanticide.  

For instance,  Bhai Desa Singh code of conduct , says, “O Man, shovel out of your mind all the men who indulge in female infanticide.”

Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha , the noted author of Sikh encyclopedia writes, “In Sikhism a daughter enjoys equal status with a son. A killer of a daughter is to be excommunicated from the community.” 

Sikh Scholar Sant Gudar Singh worked against female infanticide. In 1758, he heard that Raja Gajpat Singh (of Jind State), was killing baby girls in his family. Gudar Singh went to his house and demanded to have the newborn baby girl. He reprimanded the family and took the girl away to raise himself. Raj Kaur grew up to be very spiritual. She was married to Sardar Mahan Singh (1774), who later became the leader of Misl Shukarchakiyan. Raj Kaur later gave birth to Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1780. She became Ranjit’s regent during his minority and managed the affairs of the Sukerchakia Misl.

20th & 21st Century 

In the early 20th century, the writers of the Sikh Rehat Maryada also  stated the Sikh position on the issue: “A Sikh shall not kill his daughter, nor shall he maintain any relationship with the killer of a daughter.”  

In 2001, the Akal Takhat issued a stricture against this practice declaring that female feticide and infanticide have no place in the Sikhi, and anybody indulging in the practice should be ostracized. 

Solutions and Moving Forward

Long-term impacts

Acknowledging female infanticide and feticide as an injustice should spur Sikhs to action. 

Female infanticide and feticide is a harmful practice that robs women and girls of their right to reach their full potential.  These injustices are symptoms of the larger issue of sexism plaguing Punjabi and Indian society. Ultimately, daughter-aversion “…encourages total control of girls and women by their households and wider kin and caste networks,” writes economist Rohini Pande .  For instance, daughter aversion has been found to impact not only female infanticide but also excess female child mortality, poorer health, nutrition, schooling, and career outcomes for girls. In adulthood, as the male-bias of sex ratio increases, there is a decrease in participation of women in the labour market, an increase in gender wage gap, and increase in violence against women , and increase in human-trafficking . 

Shifting Attitudes

But it is not until entrenched cultural beliefs, practices, and systems change will gender inequality be eradicated.  It is a challenge to rectify because it requires an attitude and cultural shift . Activist Malika Kaur points out that sex-selective abortions result from devaluing girls along with societal norms and pressures. “The real solution lies in restructuring gender roles generally…Women, and their men, must be supported in bringing about societal change, in distinguishing true cultural heritage from patriarchy shrouded by the cultural argument.” 

Changing systems Not Punishing Individuals 

It is easy to point at individuals engaging in such practices and blaming parents as the main perpetrators of violence. It is unfair and counter-productive to only put the onus of action on women themselves rather than on the system that deeply and systematically undervalues women and girls. Alternatively, if we view sex-selective abortions as a tool of survival in a harshly patriarchal society, more systems and players can be held accountable. Instead of simply punishing individuals for seeking sex-selective abortions, we must assure women security, honor, and prestige regardless of the sex of their children . 

Scholars and experts have proposed many ideas such as, offering conditional cash transfers to incentivize families to have daughters , improving women’s education , ensuring women’s right to property and land, stopping dowry, implementing programming and policies that aim to change gender-unequal norms and beliefs and the patriarchal system that encourages them.    

Pande writes that learning from how other societies shift cultural attitudes towards women for the better can give hope to the Indian situation.  “The example of the struggle against female genital cutting in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa10 shows that when political will joins with cultural and other influential leaders, civil society, women, girls, men, boys, and their communities in a movement for reform, it is possible to accelerate positive change in culturally and traditionally entrenched gender-discriminatory practices”.

What Can You Do?

There are several things you can do, as an individual, to help change negative attitudes towards women and girls. Here are a few ideas: 

• Speak out against and reject dowry.
• Support and join organizations that celebrate girls and strive to change cultural attitudes like, Pink Ladoo, Laadliya, Sikh Family Center, Pushpa Project, Unique Home for Girls Jalandhar, Invisible Girl Project, etc.
• Champion the girls and women in your own circles – like celebrating Lohri for girls, celebrating birthdays, encouraging girls’ independence etc. When you see acts of discrimination, large or small, call those involved into conversation. 
• Look to Sikhi for support and inspiration . 
• If it suits your family, establish a plan where all of your siblings equally support your parents as they age.
• Join groups that lobby for great economic opportunities for women (such as land rights and equal pay across sexes and genders). 
• Consider using Kaur or Singh as your last name in order to undermine the perceived value of paternal lineage.

Photo by Jasleen Kaur

Further Reading...

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Policing the Bodies of Transgender & Queer Sikhs

Arvinder kaur.

Hi, Lovely article. Thanks for putting in explanatory information about this practice.

I would like to add some views to this, actually Sikhs at large never followed the real teachings of Guru Sahib’s. They adapted and accepted those practices which are largely suitable to the male population. Caste discrimination, high ego of groom’s side of family, large demands as dowry, drinking alcohol….many others. Sadly, our previous generations have created many patriarchal practices which are so deep rooted that it may take many future generations to overcome the damage. Even in our Guruduwara Sahib’s all the Gurupurab and Samagams are observed for Male Guru’s and Male Shaheeds/ Male soldiers (Baba Banda Singhji, Bhai Dyala ji….) but never any Samagam for female warriors of that time (Mata Bhag Kaur, Mata Ajit kaur, Mata Khivi….to name few). Gurughar has the highest responsibility in regulating the Sikh religion. Gurughar and Granthi Singh should not perform the wedding ceremony of the family involved in dowry and hugely expensive wedding and wedding where alcohol is served. These are just few of my views, there are many other thoughts run through my mind on daily basis. Some are part of the discrimination I faced as a girl child born in India during 1970’s. That trauma and grief is still here and those kind discrimination is still largely prevalent in Sikh community. Thanks in advance, for reading my long reply. Just needed to share my thoughts at some platform. Regards Arvinder Kaur

As a Christian I am amazed at a nation that murders it own children. I am also annoyed but not surprised that you tried to blame your child murder habits on the British. You should grow up, stop being money obsessed and love your children. What sort of father would murder his children to save money. The whole thing makes me shudder with horror. You would go to prison for life if you murdered your child in a civilised country.

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Essay on “FEMALE FOETIDICE- ACULTURALBLEMISH” Complete Essay for Class 10 and Class 12.

FEMALE FOETIDICE – ACULTURALBLEMISH

We are all the citizens of a country which can rightly boast of a proud past, a past, a culture in which there was never any discrimination on the basis of sex.  Woman in this country has always been looked upon as more important than man.  Look at our nomenclature : Sita — Ram, Radhey –Sham, the names of the women take precedence over those of men.  No auspicious ceremony is supposed to be complete without the presence of a woman.  Lord Rama had to get a golden statue of Sita made so that the auspicious Yajna could be completed.

It is this country where the unmarried girl is looked upon as ‘Kanjak” — a divine being, fit to be worshipped, a rather than being looked upon as an object of lust or sex.  In some of our functions like Durga Puja, Ashtami, etc. small kanjaks are invited, their feet are washed by the elders of the household, they are served  with halva-puri in the presence of the deities and then given a send-off with a ‘dakshina’.  This is as true today as it was hundred years ago.

The practice of female foeticide is a curse on our intellect, our wisdom and our total ethos.  It is a sin, a blasphemy against our ancient cultural values.  It is fraught with dangerous consequences.  The Act, 1994 states that the determination of the sex of an unborn child is illegal.  “The Pre-Natal Diagnostic the doctor, the woman and the motivator is three years imprisonment, Rs. 10000  fine and suspension of the doctor’s licence.”  But in spite of all the measures like this, the sex-ratio of girls versus boys is decreasing with every passing decade.

This national ratio has come down from 945 females to 1000 males in 1991 to 927 females to 1000 males in 2001.  In Punjabi it has fallen from 882 in the year 1991 to 875 in the year 2001.

Punjab itself is having the lowest female sex ratio and it is expected that it would have less than 850 females per 1000 males by the year 2011.  According to unconfirmed sources, there have been more than two crore female foeticide cases in the whole of India during the last decade.  More than 50,000 cases are said to have been reported in Punjab in recent years.

The sex ration of female child to male child in the age group of 0-6 years in the state of Punjab only was 875 per 1000 children in the year 1991, and it came down to 793 during 2001.

If we analyse some other states also, we find that around 80 female children decline per 1000 male children during every decade.  This means there is an 8% decline in one decade.

We must analyse the factors responsible for all this.  It is sometimes felt that one big single factor standing in the way is the woman herself.  Who is responsible for the ill treatment of the newly wed girls in the family?  It is the traditional “Saas” who is herself a woman, who most shamelessly forgets that “Saas bhi Kabhi Bahu thi”? Who goes to the ultrasound clinics for the fertility or sex tests? Who goes in for foeticide?  Who carries this foetus and who destroys it? Who lacks the courage to face the society and tell the society boldly, “It’s my baby : I’m going to keep it.  I shall not commit this sin.  I’ll not murder the mother of mankind.”  Why can’t a pregnant lady, called upon to murder her female unborn child, tell her husband, “If your great grandfather or grandmother had adopted the same policy, you would not have been born !”

It is unfortunate that the Indian psyche appears to be heavily loaded against the birth of a female child.  Somebody has to have the guts to change it.  Why can’t some bold reformers declare that their last rites would be performed only by their daughters, not sons? What’s wrong in that?

It is indeed a sad truth that many of those resorting to female foeticide are those, who are regular visitors to the holy shrines of Mata Vaishno Devi, Jawala Ji, and Chintpurni and like.One feels like weeping at this terrible hypocrisy.  On the one hand people are crying hoarse with slogans like  Jai Mata di, Jaikara Sheranwali Mata da, Sanche Darbar Ki Jai, etc., but on the other hand, they are killing the infant ‘Mata’ even before she is born.

In such a sad state of affairs one can only pray :

‘May knowledge grow from more to more,

And more of wisdom in us dwell,

That mind and soul proclaiming well,

May make one music as before.”

About evirtualguru_ajaygour

commentscomments

This is outstanding

I personally loved the speech ,and I am going to speek about in my ASL

It is such a TRUE essay I also can relate to and agree with it. I really loved it and going to use some of its beautiful lines in other speeches as well related to women, girl child, and women’s day. Thank you so much.

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Essay on Female Foeticide for Students and Children

500+ words essay on female foeticide.

Female foeticide is the aborting of a girl fetus in the womb before its complete growth. Why? This is because that it is female? Female foeticide has become a disgraceful and shocking truth of our nation. In India a strong fondness for sons over daughter. People desire smaller families with comparatively greater sons by abuse medical technologies. It is one of the main motives for declining sex ratio.

What is Female Foeticide?

Female foeticide is the procedure of abortion to terminate female fetus from the womb of the mother before taking birth after the sex recognition tests like an ultrasound scan. Female foeticide and even any sex recognition test is illegal in India. It is the shame for the parents who are despairing for a baby boy as well as doctors doing abortions especially for this.

Causes of Female Foeticide:

Female foeticide has been in practice for periods especially for the families who have a preference only male child. Several religious, social, financial and emotional are the reason for female foeticide. Therefore the time has been changed now much however, many reasons and beliefs are ongoing in some families. Some main reasons for female foeticide are:

• Generally, parents don’t want a girl baby because they have to give a big amount as a dowry at daughter’s marriage.
• There is a faith that girls are always consumer and boys are the only producer. Thus Parents understand that son will earn money for the whole life and care their parents however girls will get married a day and will have a separate family.
• There is a belief that the son will carry the name of the family in future however the girl has to carry the husband’s family.
• This is a prestige issue in society for parent and grandparent to have a boy baby in the family besides having a daughter.
• There is a stress on the new bride of the family to give birth to a male child so she is enforced to go for sex recognition and abort if girl baby.
• Illiteracy, insecurity, and poverty of people in society are also major reasons for girl baby burden.
• Science and Technological advancement and utilities have made this very easy task for parents.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Impact of female foeticide on the sex ratio:

Sex ratio denotes the ratio of females to males in a specific region. Many practices like female foeticide and female infanticide (killing a baby girl after her birth) have had a contrary influence on the sex ratio. Thus it rises and promotes many social evils.

As per the decennial Indian census, Sex Ratio of India is 107.48. It means 107.48 males per 100 females in 2019. Therefore India has 930 females per 1000 males. So, India has 48.20% female population compare to 51.80% male population.

Effective Measures to Control:

As we all know that female foeticide is a crime and social evil for the future of women. Hence we should notice the causes for female foeticide in Indian society. Female infanticide or female feticide is primarily because of sex determination. Some measures are:

• Law must be implemented and one should be surely punished if found guilty for this unkind exercise.
• Permanent cancellation of license should be done if it is going on in medical practice.
• Marketing of medical tools specifically for illegal sex determination and abortion should be a bane.
• Parents must be fined who want to kill their girl baby.
• Campaigns and seminars should be regularly held to aware of young couples.
• Women should be aware so that they can be more attentive to their rights.

Conclusion:

Forthcoming is the name of your girl child, past is the name of your mother. This is the reality that NO PRESENT, NO PAST, NO FUTURE WITHOUT GIRL CHILD. Female foeticide is suicide. So, save the girl child and secure the future. There will be the dangerous results of the female feticide. Demography reports warn India that in the next twenty years there will be a scarcity of brides in the marriage market mostly because of the adverse sex ratio.

400 Words Essay on Female Foeticide

Female foeticide refers to a practice which removes the female fetus after 18 weeks of growth in the uterus . This practice happens due to the child’s sex being female. In other words, it is a very regressive and shameful practice which still takes place in many parts of the world.

Moreover, this practice just goes to show the importance of women in society. People do not consider girls to be equal and only inferior to boys, which is why they kill a girl before being born. Furthermore, there are various causes of this practice which needs to be identified and resolved.

Causes of Female Foeticide

Female foeticide is completely unethical and illegal. This practice has roots in ancient history which people are following till date. There are various cultural and socio-economic reasons behind it. Most importantly, the sexism prevalent in the world is one of the main reasons for this practice. People prefer a boy over a girl even today. The reason behind this is the regressive thinking that the son will earn while the girls will only consume.

Moreover, another social evil of dowry makes people commit this crime. The old-age custom of dowry burdens the parents from the day a girl is born. This poses a big challenge for the parents who have to stress about her marriage and dowry all their lives. Furthermore, the low status given to women in this male-dominated world is another cause of female foeticide.

Above all, we see how parents only consider their children to carry forward their legacy. This totally neglects the girl’s importance and forces her to only handle the household work. Similarly, the technological advancements in today’s world have made it easier for anyone to get an abortion done and determine the sex of the child.

Ways to Prevent Female Foeticide

It is very clear by now that female foeticide is a crime and a great social disaster. After identifying the reasons behind this unethical practice, we must strive to eradicate it completely. Firstly, sex determination is a great cause for this crime. Thus, the determination of the sex of the fetus must be made illegal. Moreover, stringent measures must be taken to ensure they are followed correctly.

Furthermore, the government must ban the easy availability of the medical equipment one needs for sex determination and abortion. They must jail those found guilty of practicing this crime must and government must terminate their license. Moreover, the parents who aim to do it must be penalized heavily. Above all, people must be made aware of this unethical practice at all levels. We must empower our young women and girls to practice their right diligently.

In conclusion, we must respect the daughters of our country. Also, they must be given the same priority as their sons. Girls do not have access to education, healthcare and more as the boys do. This is why parents consider them a burden. Therefore, all these facilities must be made accessible to them for the same. This will help them create an identity of their own.

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Female foeticide in Punjab

Published : Jun 08, 2002 00:00 IST

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A case of female foeticide from Fatehgarh Sahib district in Punjab and a two-day consultation on foeticide in the State underline the need to tackle the menace in full swing.

T.K. RAJALAKSHMI in Chandigarh and Fatehgarh Sahib

THERE is a mood of disquiet in Kale Majra village in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib district. A little over 50 km from Chandigarh which represents a modern city of the 21st century, Fatehgarh Sahib has the dubious distinction of being the district with the lowest juvenile sex ratio in the country. The mood is even more gloomy today in the house of Gurmeet Singh and his brothers. In March, Gurmeet Singh's wife Surinder Kaur and his sister-in-law Devender Kaur were arrested by the police on charges of aborting a female foetus. They were both charged under Section 312 and 120 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The provisions of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 have not been invoked. A staff nurse who allegedly performed the abortion was booked under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971.

No action has been taken against a diagnostic centre that is allegedly involved. The sections that can be invoked here include Section 5(2) which prohibits any person conducting pre-natal diagnostic procedures from communicating to the pregnant woman or her relative, the sex of the foetus by means of words, signs or in any other manner; Section 6(b) which prohibits the determination of the sex of the foetus and Section 20(3) which empowers the Appropriate Authority (in this case, the Chief Medical Officer of Fatehgarh Sahib district) to suspend in public interest the registration of the clinic or laboratory without issuing any show-cause notice. This power has not been invoked as yet by the Appropriate Authority and according to Veena Kumari, coordinator of Human Rights Law Network, the woman doctor who was running the diagnostic centre had shifted her operations elsewhere. The ultrasonologist involved was not to be found either. Two women in Bhatinda district have also been similarly booked under Section 312 IPC.

Under Section 312, whoever voluntarily causes a woman with a child to miscarry, shall, if such miscarriage be not caused in good faith for the purpose of saving the life of the woman, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both, and if the woman be quick with child, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to pay a fine. A woman who causes herself to miscarry also falls within the ambit of this section. The MTP Act, 1971 legalises abortion though it lays down several conditions under which such a procedure may be performed. Section 120 pertains to concealing a design to commit an offence and this is punishable with imprisonment.

Veena Kumari, who is an advocate with the Punjab and Haryana High Court, explained that Section 312 hardly had any relevance after the passage of the MTP Act and was rarely invoked. She therefore found it strange that this provision was invoked. According to her, a senior health department official had told her that the department was "catching all those persons who were directly involved in the crime". Veena Kumari said that the import and intent of the PNDT Act was to prevent the misuse of foetal sex determination, and instead of focussing on the agency that conducted the test, the health department was focussing on foeticide itself. "When women get targeted, the focus gets blunted," she said.

Violations of the PNDT Act involve severe punishment. Section 23(3) lays down that any person who seeks the aid of a genetic counselling centre, a genetic laboratory or a genetic clinic or of a medical geneticist, gynaecologist or registered medical practitioner, for applying pre-natal diagnostic techniques on any pregnant woman (unless there is evidence she was compelled to undergo such diagnostic techniques) for purposes other than those specified, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term that may extend to three years and with a fine which may extend to Rs.10,000 and any subsequent conviction may involve imprisonment which may extend to five years and a fine of up to Rs.50,000. Unless it can be proved that the pregnant woman was compelled by someone to undergo a pre-natal diagnostic test, Section 23(3) will apply to her too. Certain amendments have been proposed to the PNDT Act by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare including the exclusion of pregnant woman from the punitive provisions of Section 23(3).

An unlettered Surinder Kaur, it is entirely possible, was persuaded by family members to undergo an ultrasound scan, but she has not conveyed this fact in her statement to the police. Her sister-in-law Devender Kaur allegedly accompanied her to the diagnostic centre.

Surinder's first child was a girl. Between Gurmeet Singh, his two brothers and their wives, there are seven daughters in the joint family.

According to available facts, Surinder Kaur got an ultrasound scan done when she was a little more than four months pregnant. Devender Kaur stated that she was unaware what the ultrasonologist had conveyed to Surinder Kaur. But in fact, the sex of the foetus had been conveyed verbally to Surinder and her sister-in law at a cost of Rs.1,200, almost four times the prevailing rate. Evidently, despite certain Supreme Court directives to State governments and the Central government regarding the strict implementation of the PNDT Act, several such centres were operating illegally, and literally preying upon the "son preference" syndrome in Indian society.

The nurse allegedly carried out the abortion on February 28 in Surinder Kaur's marital home. The foetus was buried in the courtyard. According to a senior official in the State health department, the police were tipped off about the foeticide by another nurse. On March 8, the remains of the foetus were dug out and sent for examination. The police took Surinder Kaur and her sister-in-law into custody. While Surinder had to be hospitalised as she had hardly recovered from the abortion, her sister-in-law was put in the lock-up. A bail application was moved on March 10 and two days later the two were given bail. Charges were yet to be framed. The nurse involved was suspended by the Health Department.

When this correspondent met Surinder Kaur, her husband and relatives at their home, she seemed too scared even to voice an opinion. Most of the talking in the family was done by the men. "Pind di log sohde hin ki ladka theek hai (The village community feels that it is better to have boys),"said Gurmeet's elder brother. A former sarpanch of the village and his wife Jaswant Kaur explained that a small family was the norm and even if girls were not born, it was not considered a big loss.

All of them admitted that the practice of exchanging dowry had grown over the years and that even middle-income families were now not averse to claiming dowry. "If earlier the demand was a bicycle, now it is for a motorcycle or even a car, and gold for the bride as well as for the mother-in-law," said Jaswant Kaur. She added that as "big people" gave dowry, it had become necessary for others to emulate the practice.

It was not coincidental that a consultation on the menace of female foeticide in the context of growing gender violence was organised in Chandigarh and Fatehgarh Sahib on May 20 and 21 by the Voluntary Health Association of India and the Voluntary Health Association, Punjab. It was argued there that female foeticide would not stop as long as other manifestations of gender violence continued in society. Such violence, it was pointed out, could be in the form of domestic violence stemming from dowry demands, son preference and so on. The meeting in Chandigarh blamed also the consumerist culture stimulated by the forces of globalisation and liberalisation for impinging on the well-being of women. The easy availability of certain technology including for foetal sex determination and pre-conception sex selection had proved inimical to the interests of women, it was stressed.

The consultation took note of the extreme forms of communal and sexual violence recently perpetrated in Gujarat. The decline in the sex ratio as well as the juvenile sex ratio in Punjab, Haryana and some other parts of northern and northwestern India figured in the discussions. Demands for equal rights to women on family property and strict enforcement of the Dowry Prohibition Act were reiterated. Any imposition of the two-child norm employing incentives and disincentives would wreak havoc on the already skewed sex ratio, participants at the consultation felt.

At the consultation at Fatehgarh Sahib, Surjeet Kaur, the mahila mandal pradhan of Biladi Kalan village, wanted the government to crack down on private medical practitioners who she said were over-charging people for services including sex determination tests. She pointed out that government dispensaries did not have adequate stocks of medicine and hence people were forced to go to private practitioners. Surjeet Kaur also said that the part of anganwadi workers in propagating the anti-foeticide message was hardly visible. She told Frontline that generally it was the rich families that resorted to pre-natal sex determination techniques in order to keep family size small and property holdings intact.

Another woman sarpanch explained that it was necessary to find out why foeticide was taking place on such a large scale and that it was important to recognise the various reproductive pressures women faced. Another speaker at the meeting, Babu Singh Chauhan, said well-meaning statements, plays and other messages alone cannot stop the foeticide menace. Punishing the main offenders - the ultrasound scan centres conducting such tests - alone can act as a deterrent, he said.

Over one hundred people actively participated in the Fatehgarh Sahib consultation and most of them felt that governmental measures in this field were not adequate. Representatives of the district administration and the Health Department expressed their inability to pursue the cases owing to problems of jurisdiction but that excuse failed to convince the gathering.

The situation has been particularly alarming in Punjab and Haryana despite the prosperity and high per capita income levels that prevail there. The juvenile sex ratio in these States has been declining with each successive Census. In fact, Census 2001 showed a marked decline in the juvenile sex ratio in both these States as well as in some others including Himachal Pradesh. The decline had become evident in Census 1991, but apparently the fall in the number of female children had become much sharper in the last one decade as was reflected in Census 2001.

Social scientists, members of women's organisations and demographers (including the late Asok Mitra) have over a period of time expressed concern over India's declining sex ratio. Census 2001 revealed that it was not the BIMARU States (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) that were showing sharp declines in sex ratio but some of the more prosperous ones. The inter-State variations were also pronounced. The magnitude of the decline - 82 points in Punjab, 59 in Haryana, 54 in Himachal Pradesh, 50 in Gujarat, 42 in Uttaranchal and 29 in Maharashtra - was much higher than in the previous decade. The links among foetal sex determination technology, the level of access to it and the sex ratio have now become clearer.

THE PNDT Act, 1994 which came into force on January 1, 1996, was enacted primarily to check sex-selective foeticide. Initially, the Central government and most State governments hardly took any steps to implement the provisions of the Act. Following a petition filed in the Supreme Court, the State governments and Union Territories were directed by the court to supply quarterly reports to a central supervisory board regarding action taken towards the implementation of the Act. Once again, several States either dragged their feet in furnishing the reports or failed to initiate prompt action as per the guidelines.

Punjab too has been no exception. Until as late as December 2001, there was not a single case of prosecution of a diagnostic centre conducting sex-determination tests. A few prosecutions had been launched in West Bengal, Bihar, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu and Haryana. In Punjab, some action has been initiated in the last few months. In most of the identified instances, cases against erring ultrasound centres in the State are yet to be registered. Four out of the 14 female foeticide cases reported so far have been registered while in eight cases action under the PNDT Act has been initiated by the Appropriate Authority. Three cases were booked under the MTP Act - in two of the cases, instruments that were employed to conduct abortions were recovered while in a third case, the woman who underwent the procedure gave a statement. None of the doctors or ultrasonologists involved seemed to have been caught, while it appears that most of the action had been initiated against the women, thus exposing into focus the phenomenon of "victimising the victim".

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English Essay on “Female Foeticide- A Cultural Blemish” Best Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Students.

Female foeticide- a cultural blemish.

We are all the citizens of a country which can rightly boast of a proud past, a past, a culture in which there was never any discrimination on the basis of sex. Woman in this country has always been looked upon as more important than man. Look at our nomenclature: Sita-Ram, Radhey-Sham, the names of the women take precedence over those of men. No auspicious ceremony is supposed to be complete without the presence of a woman. Lord Rama had to get a golden statue of Sita made so that the auspicious Yajna could be completed.

It is this country where the unmarried girl is looked upon as ‘Kanjak’- a divine being, fit to be worshipped, rather than being looked upon as an object of lust or sex. In some of our functions like Durga Puja, Ashtami, etc. small kanjaks are invited, their feet are washed by the elders of the household, and they are served with halva-puri in the presence of the deities and then given a send-off with a ‘dakshina’. This is as true today as it was hundred years ago.

The practice of female foeticide is a curse on our intellect, our wisdom and our total ethos. It is a sin, a blasphemy against our ancient cultural values. It is fraught with dangerous consequences. The Government of India has taken certain measures against female foeticide. The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Act, 1994 states that the determination of the sex of an unborn child is illegal. “The punishment for the doctor, the woman and the motivator is three years imprisonment, Rs. 10000 fine and suspension of the doctor’s license. But in spite of all the measures like this, the sex ratio of girls versus boys is decreasing with every passing decade.

This national ratio has come down from 945 females to 1000 males in 1991 to 927 females to 1000 males in 2001. In Punjab, it has fallen from 882 in the year 1991 to 875 in the year 2001.

Punjab itself is having the lowest female sex ratio and it is expected that it would have less than 850 females per 1000 males by the year 2011. According to unconfirmed sources, there have been more than two crore female foeticide cases in the whole of India during the last decade. More than 50,000 cases are said to have been reported in Punjab in recent years.

The sex ratio of female child to male child in the age group of 0-6 years in the state of Punjab only was 875 per 1000 children in the year 1991, and it came down to 793 during 2001.

If we analyse some other states also, we find that around 80 female children decline per 1000 male children during every decade. This means there is an 8% decline in one decade.

We must analyse the factors responsible for all this. It is sometimes felt that one big single factor standing in the way is the woman herself. Who is responsible for the ill-treatment of the newlywed girls in the family? It is the traditional “Saas” who is herself a woman, who most shamelessly forgets that “Saas bhi Kabhi Bahu thi”? Who goes to the ultrasound clinics for the fertility or sex tests? Who goes in for foeticide? Who carries this foctus and who destroys it? Who lacks the courage to face the society and tell the society boldly, “It’s my baby: I’m going to keep it. I shall not commit this sin. I’ll not murder the mother of mankind.” Why can’t a pregnant lady, called upon to murder her female unborn child, tell her husband, “If your great grandfather or grandmother had adopted the same policy, you would not have been born!”

It is unfortunate that the Indian psyche appears to be heavily loaded against the birth of a female child. Somebody has to have the guts to change it. Why can’t some bold reformers declare that their last rites would be performed only by their daughters, not sons? What’s wrong with that?

It is indeed a sad truth that many of those resorting to female focticide are those, who are regular visitors to the holy shrines of Mata Vaishno Devi, Jawala Ji, Chintpurni and the like. One feels like weeping at this terrible hypocrisy. On the one hand people are crying hoarse with slogans like Jai Mata di Jaikara Sheranwali Mata da, Sanche Darbar ki Jai, etc., but on the other hand, they are killing the infant Mata’ even before she is born.

In such a sad state of affairs one can only pray: “May knowledge grow from more to more, And more of wisdom in us dwell, That mind and soul proclaiming well, May make one music as before.”

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Essay on Female Foeticide | Essay on Female Foeticide for Students and Children in English

February 14, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on Female Foeticide:  In the land where we worship Goddess ‘Durga’ as ‘shakti’, thousands of innocent girls are killed in the wombs of their mothers, for the selfish greed of having only a male child.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essays on Female Foeticide for Kids and Students in English

Given below are two essays in English for students and children about the topic of ‘Female Foeticide’ in both long and short form. The first essay is a long essay on the Female Foeticide of 400-500 words. This long essay about Female Foeticide is suitable for students of class 7, 8, 9 and 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants. The second essay is a short essay on Female Foeticide of 150-200 words. These are suitable for students and children in class 6 and below.

Long Essay on Female Foeticide 500 Words in English

Below we have given a long essay on Female Foeticide of 500 words is helpful for classes 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Competitive Exam Aspirants. This long essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 7 to class 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants.

Female foeticide is a matter of “deep shame and a cause of great concern”, these were the words of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he spoke on the occasion of the ‘International Day for the Girl Child’ i.e. 11 th October 2014.

Equality of rights becomes secondary, when primarily females are not even allowed to enter into this world. The evil of female foeticide is deeply entrenched in our society and pervades all classes and castes of the society. A family does not think twice before killing a girl-child, though they would ceremoniously pray to Goddess Lakshmi, Kali and Durga four times a day!

While it is often believed that such ill-practices are largely part of the lower strata of society, shockingly, the recent trend reveals that many wealthy Indian couples are flocking to neighbouring countries like Thailand to escape laws here, as gender-detection is illegal in India. According to a recent report by a national daily “A growing number of couples are finding a way around the ban by going to Thailand where there are no laws against it. Doctors use Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), a method that involves producing embryos through IVF and implanting only those of the desired gender (male) into the womb. At around $8500, excluding flights, it’s not cheap, but it seems a price couples are willing to pay.”

It is interesting to analyse the reasons that lead to such a biased mind-set. Some believe that boys are an investment as they would grow family’s lineage and would secure their parent’s future, in comparison to girls who are considered liability as they need to be warded off with enormous dowry.

Furthermore, there are others who believe that in a male-dominated society, female safety issues are immense and since bringing up girls involves trouble, boys are an easy option.

Interestingly, a lot of measures have been taken to fight against this crime. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India has targeted education and media advertisements to reach clinics and medical professionals to increase awareness. The Indian Medical Association has undertaken efforts to prevent prenatal sex determination by promoting ‘Beti Bachao’ (save the daughters) during its meetings and conferences. The Beti-Bachao campaign uses media to raise awareness of the gender disparities creating and resulting from sex-selective abortion.

Beti-Bachao activities include rallies, posters, short-videos and television commercials, some of which are sponsored by state and local governments and other organisations. Many celebrities in India have publicly supported the Beti-Bachao campaign.

Aamir Khan devoted the 1 st episode ‘Daughters are Precious’ of his show Satyamev Jayate to raise awareness of this widespread practice. Rapid responses were shown by local governments after airing of this show, showing the effect of media and nationwide awareness on the issue.

Other recent policy initiative adopted by many states in India, attempts to address the assumed economic disadvantage of girls by offering support to girls and their parents. These policies provide conditional cash transfer and scholarships only available to girls where payments to a girl and her parents are linked to various stages of her life, such as when she is born, childhood immunisation, school and her marriage past age 21.

Short Essay on Female Foeticide 200 Words in English

Below we have given a short essay on Female Foeticide is for Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This short essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 6 and below.

Some states are offering higher pension benefits to parents who raise one or two girls. Different states have been experimenting with various innovations in their girl-driven welfare policies. It is mentioned in Quran “Kill not your children on a plea of want. We provide sustenance for you and for them. Come not near shameful deeds, whether open or secret. Take not life which Allah has made sacred.”

Today, women have reached the Moon and Mount Everest, but on Earth her situation is much the same. From Saina Nehwal to Kalpana Chawla, from our 1 st woman President Pratibha Patil, to business woman Naina Lai Kidwai, females have left no sphere unturned to prove their worth and credibility to the society. However, much is left desired.

There is a great need to empower women, so that they become self-reliant and capable of taking their own decisions, rather than getting influenced and pressurised by in-laws or husbands or other’social pressures. Through greater awareness, consideration and understanding, we can bring a shift in the perception of the society to give equal space to the girl-child. A little change in our attitude is all that is needed to welcome daughters in our hearts and in this world.

10 Lines to Remember Essay on Female Foeticide

• Skewed – not uniform, distorted, twisted
• Dismal – depressing, bad, pitiful
• Eloquent – clearly expressing or indicating something,
• Entrenched – well- established, deep rooted, fixed
• Pervades – be present and apparent throughout, spread through
• Strata – section, major subdivision
• Lineage – Direct descent from an ancestor, ancestry
• Prenatal – before birth; during pregnancy
• Immunisation – an exposure to a substance to fluent strengthen the resistance against it
• Self-reliant – independent, dependent on one’s own powers and resources rather than those of others
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• Female Foeticide Essay

Essay on Female Foeticide

Female Foeticide is the termination of female fetuses in the wombs of their mothers, for the selfish greed of having a male child. It is a matter of deep shame and a cause of great concern. The evil of Female Foeticide is deeply entrenched in our society and pervades all classes and castes of society. It is very heart-wrenching when a family does not think twice before killing a girl-child, though they indulge themselves in praying religiously to Goddess Lakshmi, Kali, and Durga. 

Even though prenatal sex determination results in fines as it is against the law, the civilians somehow find a way or an alternative method to detect the gender of the child, leading to bizarre situations as people often terminate the fetus. Despite several laws passed by the government, Female Foeticide is still prevailing and is common in India. It still lies in the roots of the country, worsening the condition of those women who are getting entangled in this horrific web of discriminating society.

What is Female Foeticide?

Female Foeticide is a medical procedure where a female fetus is aborted in the womb of the pregnant woman after identifying the gender of the fetus through ultrasound. This act is illegal in India. It is a social issue that causes unfair treatment of different genders in society.

When women get married, they have many dreams and aspirations for the new phase of life. They dream of having a good family and children. In India, however, pregnancy is often followed by the question of whether the unborn child is a girl or a boy. In our country, many people have a major obsession with sons. They think that a son is a cause for joy and lifetime security, and celebration. They have the view that a girl child is a cause of an economic drain as her marriage and dowry will crush the family under a huge burden of debts. 

Besides, we live in a patriarchal society where sons will always be preferred over girls as they are seen as lesser prized objects and weaker than men. Moreover, the social custom of India to marry off their daughters into a family of higher status is also a root cause of this issue, and the kin of the groom demands huge dowry consisting of a certain amount. Especially in rural areas, men are believed to take care of the family heritage and pass on the family lineage while protecting the family name. This proves that even though women's empowerment is an important subject in this era, people still do not believe in equality, due to the backward thinking of certain people around the world.

While it is often believed that such ill practices are largely part of the lower strata of society, shockingly there have been many revelations recently that even wealthy Indian couples are flocking to neighboring countries to know the gender of the fetus as it is illegal here in India. 

Causes of Female Foeticide

Even though Female Foeticide has been in practice for several years due to preference of a male child over female, not just financial but several social, emotional, and religious causes are the reason behind this heinous crime. However, certain beliefs of some families cannot be changed, but it is high time we showcase their ongoing crisis to lead a better future.  It is interesting to learn the reasons that lead to such a biased mindset. 

Some believe that boys are an investment while girls are economic drainers. 

They also believe that boys would grow the family’s lineage and would secure their parents’ future.

The girls are considered a liability, as they need to be married off with enormous dowry. 

Some believe that in a male-dominated society, it is easy to bring up a boy since the safety of the females is a big issue, and raising girls involves trouble. 

Poverty, illiteracy, and insecurity play a major role in this. 

In a male-dominated society, females are still considered subordinate and inferior to males.

Some backward families believe that having a boy child is going to uplift the status of the family. 

They can demand dowry in marriage from the bride’s family for their son.

This illegal practice has affected the scale of the population. According to the statistics of the General Office for Population Family Planning, the number of newborn boys and girls is unequal because of the discrimination of genders. Unfortunately, this situation has been persisting for over a very long time. The impacts of it on the population are rather huge. As per the report of the Ministry of Public Health, it is estimated that, despite the attempts to reduce the fluctuation between the birth of boys and girls, in 2020 there will be 4.3 million more men than women which might have huge repercussions.

Measures to Control

A lot of measures have been taken to fight against this illegal practice.

The government of India has initiated education and media advertisements to reach hospitals and clinics and medical professionals to increase awareness. 

The Indian Medical Association has shouldered efforts to prevent prenatal sex determination by promoting ‘Beti-Bachao’ during its meeting and conferences. 

The campaign of Beti-Bachao is initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise awareness of the gender disparities created and resulting from sex-selective abortion.

Some policies initiated by many states in India attempt to address the assumed economic disadvantage of girls by offering aids to girls and their parents. 

The dowry system, one of the main causes of Female Foeticide, should be abolished from society. 

Some policies provide scholarships and cash credits only to girls. 

Medical licenses must be terminated with immediate effect for the practitioners who are conducting Female Foeticide. 

The families who are forcing this act on their daughters-in-law should be penalized. 

Young women and girls should be empowered to stand for their rights. They should be self-reliant and become capable of making their decisions. 

Through a lot of awareness, consideration, and understanding, we can bring a shift in our beliefs and perceptions of society to give equal space to the girl child. Besides, there is no past, present, or future without a woman and female infanticide or Female Foeticide should be considered as suicide. If we do not make a change and secure the future of these girls now, then the consequences would be dangerous and there would be no coming back from that curse. So, a little change in our mindset and attitude is all that is needed to welcome daughters in our hearts and this world.

FAQs on Female Foeticide Essay

1. What is Female Foeticide?

Female foeticide is a medical procedure where a female fetus is aborted in the womb of the pregnant woman after identifying the gender of the fetus through ultrasound.

2. What are the Causes that Lead to Female Foeticide?

The causes that lead to female foeticide are poverty, illiteracy, etc. The downtrodden thoughts of some people who think that having a boy child would give them a status in society is another major cause of female foeticide. Some people hold the views that girls are consumers and boys are producers. They also believe that boys will carry on the name of the family and the lineage. Some also think that girls are a burden for the family, as they have to give dowry to get her married. Many also want a boy child so that they can demand dowry from the bride’s family. 

3. What Campaign did Narendra Modi Start?

Our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi started the campaign of Beti-Bachao. The objective of this campaign was to raise awareness of the gender disparities creating and resulting from sex-selective abortion.

4. What Measures should the Government Take to Prevent Female Foeticide?

The government, with the help of the media, should create awareness of the disadvantages of this practice. Women and young girls should be empowered so that they become self-reliant and capable of making their own decisions. The families who force this evil act on their daughters-in-law and the medical practitioners should be penalized heavily. 

5. Is Female Foeticide a symptom of an underlying disease?

Yes, Female Foeticide is a malady and it is increasing, especially in rural areas, as families of these girls often perceive that having daughters is a liability and bearing them is economic stress on them. It further does not provide them with any social advantages, following which having a male child in the upcoming generation gives them a sense of advantage. Besides, this situation is quite clear from the declining sex ratio in several parts of the country, raising an alarm in the northern states.

6. Why are sons preferred in the country?

Sons are often looked up to as a type of insurance for the family and are expected to work and earn in the fields, look after their parents during times of distress, and have a good income to support the family. Sons are expected to have the responsibility of the family and preserve the family name. Moreover, in Hindu culture, for the salvation of the spirit, the son sets fire on the funeral pyre. Due to this strong preference for a male child, the life of daughters is getting endangered.

7. How to stop the cruel practice of Female Foeticide?

Keeping the Female Foeticide instances in mind, the government launched several campaigns to save the girl child while several NGOs are actively taking part in it to emphasize the seriousness of the issue. Moreover, the community leaders should also assure success in such campaigns as people need to believe that having a daughter is not a burden and killing them is punishable by the offense. Besides, it needs to be proven that women can achieve all the milestones a man does in every field.

8. How to curb easy access to ultrasonography?

The weak law enforcement in the country and easy access to people wanting to get ultrasonography to determine the gender of the child needs to halt while the government bodies need to a strict vision on all health care centres where sonography takes place and even the abortion clinic to avoid any mishap. Moreover, the doctors or healthcare employees should not promote the unethical way to help parents know the sex of the child as it is illegal and endangers the life of the child inside the womb.

9. What are the strategies to eliminate Female Foeticide?

Some of the strategies to eliminate Female Foeticide include empowerment and education of women while both the electronic and print media can play a significant role in curbing the crisis. Media can help in promoting the positive image of a girl child and remove the gender bias situations in the country. However, bringing such a change is not possible overnight, and changing people’s attitude towards women needs to be adopted by several. Besides, the elimination of gender disparities should be monitored by the high-level authorities. For more information and answers, check Vedantu for free study materials available on its app and website.

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The ‘Orgasm Gap’ Isn’t Going Away for Straight Women

A new study suggests they still have fewer orgasms during sex than men do, even with age and experience.

By Catherine Pearson

Sex researchers and therapists have long known that women in heterosexual relationships tend to have fewer orgasms than men do. A large new study suggests that this “orgasm gap” persists — and does not improve with age.

The Numbers

The research, published recently in the journal Sexual Medicine, found that across all ages, men of all sexual orientations reported higher orgasm rates during sex — from 70 to 85 percent — compared with 46 to 58 percent for women. Lesbian and bisexual women between ages 35 and 49 reported higher orgasm rates than their heterosexual counterparts.

The analysis included data from eight Singles in America surveys, which are funded and conducted by Match.com annually in collaboration with The Kinsey Institute, the sexuality and relationships research program at Indiana University. The sample included more than 24,000 single Americans between the ages of 18 and 100.

Researchers were especially interested in the question of whether orgasm rates vary by age. Amanda Gesselman, a research scientist with the Kinsey Institute and lead author on the study, said she thought the team might find evidence that the orgasm gap narrows as women develop confidence and learn what they like (and, perhaps, their partners develop skills to help pleasure them).

However, while older gay and bisexual men and lesbian women did have higher orgasm rates, “we really didn’t see evidence of closing the orgasm gap overall,” she said, adding that she hopes future studies will explore the age-orgasm connection further.

“We really, as a society, sort of prioritize men’s pleasure and undervalue women’s sexual pleasure,” Dr. Gesselman said. “And I think that contributes to consistent disparities.”

The Limitations

Emily Nagoski, a sex educator and author of the book “Come Together” — who did not work on the new study — said a limitation of the study was that the survey asked: “When having sexual intercourse in general, what percentage of the time do you usually have an orgasm?” But it did not provide a more specific definition of what “sexual intercourse” means.

Research shows the majority of women require some form of clitoral stimulation in order to orgasm. So if straight women defined “sexual intercourse” as vaginal penetration alone, it makes sense that there was a significant gap in orgasm rates, she said.

A more revealing question might be, “What percentage of the sex you have do you like?” Dr. Nagoski said. “Orgasm is not the measure of a sexual encounter. Pleasure is the measure of a sexual encounter.”

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