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Female Feticide is the act of aborting a fetus because it is female. This is a major social problem in India. Fetal sex determination and sex selective abortion by medical professionals has today grown into a s. !,""" crore industries #$%& '(( million). %ocial discrimination against women and a preference for sons have promoted.*!+ ,ccording to the decennial Indian census, the sex ratio in the "-. age group in India went from !"(." males per !"" females in !/0!, to !"1.0 in !//!, to !"2.0 in '""!, to !"/.( in '"!!. The ratio is significantly higher in certain states such as 3unjab and 4aryana #!'..! and !''.", as of '""!).*'+
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1 Magnitude of problem 2 Origin 2.1 Social effects 3 Fighting back 3.1 Results See also ! "#ternal links $ References

[edit]Magnitude

of problem

It estimated that more than ten million female fetuses have been illegally aborted in India. esearchers for the 5ancet journal based in 6anada and India stated that 1"",""" girls were being lost annually through sex selective abortions.*7+ [edit]Origin

This process began in the early !//"s when ultrasound techni8ues gained widespread use in India. There was a tendency for families to continuously produce children until a male child was born. The 9overnment initially supported the practice in order to control population growth. *(+ The 3reconception and 3renatal :iagnostic Techni8ues #363;:T) ,ct was passed in !//(, making sex-selective abortion illegal. It was then modified in '""7 holding medical professionals legally responsible. 4owever the 363;:T ,ct has been poorly enforced by authorities.*!+ [edit]Social

effects

Female feticide has also led to an increase in human trafficking. In '"!!, !1,""" Indian women were bought and sold as brides in areas where feticide has led to a lack of women.*1+ [edit]Fighting

back

Increasing awareness of the problem has led to multiple campaigns by celebrities and journalists to combat sexselective abortions. ,amir <han devoted an episode of his show%atyamev =ayate to raising awareness of the issue. , sting operation by two journalist, revealing hundreds of doctors were complicit in this illegal act. The trial of these doctors is currently underway in ajashtan circa '"!'.*citation needed+ In a recent landmark judgment the >umbai 4igh 6ourt upheld an amendment to the 363;:T ,ct banning sex selection treatment. The 6ourt pronounced that ?pre natal sex determination would be as good as female foeticide. 3reconception sex determination violated a woman@s right to live and was against the 6onstitution.? *!+ The Beti Bachao, or %ave girls campaign, has been underway in many Indian communities since the early '"""s. The campaign uses the media to raise awareness of the gender disparities creating, and resulting from, sex-selective abortion.

Aeti Aachao activities include rallies, posters, short videos and television commercials, some of which are sponsored by state and local governments and other organiBations. >any celebrities in India have publicly supported the Aeti Aachao campaign. [edit]Results 5akhanpal, a small village in 3unjab has turned the tide, with !,("" girls for every !""" boys.*!+ ,rvind <umar, an official in the 4yderabad district enforced the 363;:T ,ct after taking over in '""(. 4e investigated all 70/ diagnostic clinics in the city and took action. 7.! ultrasound scan centres were issued notices for non-compliance with the 363;:T ,ct and the licenses of /! centres were cancelled.*!+