India's Vanishing Girl Child
Girls in India are disappearing at an increasing rate (Ahmad). The sex ratio is quickly decreasing (Garg, Nath), and is less than 800:1000 in some places (Ahmad). In Indian culture, it has always been more desirable to have a son instead of a daughter. A son is known as the “breadwinner” of the family (Garg, Nath). He works, brings in money for the family, and takes care of the parents in old age (Garg, Nath). A son in the family is often looked at as a “type of insurance”. (Garg, Nath). The strong desire for a son, however, has been taken to the extreme.
One of the reasons for this frightening drop in number of baby girls is because of a horrific practice known as female feticide. Female feticide is defined as the “the selective abortion of female fetuses” (Ahmad). Although it is illegal, it is still widely practiced and is seen as “socially acceptable” throughout India (Ahmad).
Pregnancy proves to be a frightening time for women in India. As technology has progressed, it has become easier for women just to have an abortion instead of waiting until birth to kill the baby (Garg, Nath). It is common for women in India to get an ultrasound to determine the gender of the baby, and it is usually at this point when they decide whether to get an abortion or not (Subramanian).
Although feticide is becoming more common, the old practice of female infanticide – “the practice of murdering infants” – still persists (Ahmad). Tiny infants like the one in this photo are commonly found murdered and abandoned all over India. Infanticide is an age-old practice that has been used for years, before sex-determining technology came about. (Ahmad).
There are many reports of female infanticide that give insight into the cruelty of these murders. This photo reveals reports of infants that have been shot and abandoned. However, there are infant girls that are also commonly poisoned with opium, suffocated with wet towels, and choked by having things shoved down their throats (Sumner).
For an Indian woman, the decision to keep your newborn daughter is a difficult one. Women are usually “blamed and punished” for giving birth to girl children, and are commonly faced with abuse or divorce if they do (Sumner). Some mothers even view feticide and infanticide as sparing their daughter from a miserable life like their own (Sumner). Even if the girl is allowed to live, they reason, she will always have to deal with discrimination (Verma).
Not all mothers choose this horrible fate for their child, however. They are often filled with distraught and heartache as they mourn their baby girl. The father will usually make the final decision on whether or not the child will live. Midwives are often paid to kill baby girls after they are born, even if it is against the mother’s wishes. (Verma).
The main reasons for female feticide and infanticide are the low “status of women”, “gender discrimination”, and “dowry” (Garg, Nath). Because sons bring in the income, daughters are viewed as less important. Dowry can be described as a gift in the form of lots of money or “valuable goods” paid from the bride’s family to the groom’s family after their marriage (Female Infanticide). As a result, girls are looked at as an “economic liability” and are very expensive to the family (Garg, Nath).
The problem of female feticide and infanticide is urgent and needs to be heard about worldwide. The girl in this photo wears bright, attention-grabbing face paint that reads “SAVE GIRL CHILD” as she participates in International Day of the Girl Child (The Official Kyazoonga Blog). This is a day to “recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world” (Masand). Accompanying this message are red tears that mimick all the blood that has been shed by innocent daughters all over India.
Protests in India alone are not going to be enough to stand up to the overpowering discrimination against girl children. Awareness needs to be spread all over the world. There are organizations already trying to provide help to the women and daughters of India. One particular NGO (non-governmental organization) called Snehalaya, for example, raises awareness about what’s going on and hopes to eventually put a stop to female feticide and infanticide. They encourage adoption for parents that don’t want the girl child and pick up the child as soon as it’s born to take it to a child care center. They also offer counseling, shelter, and “legal help” for these families. (Satyamev Jayate). There are many organizations like this that accept donations and are trying to help put a stop to the terrible practices of female feticide and infanticide.
Works Cited
N Ahmad. Female Feticide in India. Issues in Law & Medicine. 1 June 2010. http://ehis.ebscohost.com. 3 Feb. 2013.
Female Infanticide. BBC Ethics guide. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/medical/infanticide_1.shtml. 14 Feb. 2013.
S Garg, A Nath. Female feticide in India: Issues and concerns. Journal of Postgraduate Medicine. 2008. http://www.jpgmonline.com/article.asp?issn=0022-3859;year=2008;volume=54;issue=4;spage=276;epage=279;aulast=Garg. 3 Feb. 2013.
Pratibha Masand. Celebration of International Day of Girl Child held to create awareness about girl child issues. The Times of India. 13 Oct. 2012. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-13/mumbai/34430559_1_girl-child-sanitary-napkins-ngo-population-first. 6 Feb. 2013.
The Official Kyazoonga Blog. Rock for the Girl Child! http://blog.kyazoonga.com/?p=686. 6 Feb. 2013.
Samanth Subramanian. Technology, affluence appear to increase female foeticide in India. The National. 26 April 2011. http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/south-asia/technology-affluence-appear-to-increase-female-foeticide-in-india. 24 April 2013.
Satyamev Jayate. Female Foeticide. http://www.satyamevjayate.in/issue01/donate/. 3 Feb. 2013.
Molly M. Sumner. The unknown genocide: How one country’s culture is destroying the girl child. International Journal of Nursing Practice. 1 April 2009. http://ehis.ebscohost.com. 3 Feb. 2013.
Priya Verma. Missing Miss India: Female Infanticide – Not a Practice of the Past. Off Our Backs. 1 March 2005. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=48dbd9c7-e635-422a-b6e3-1dc2d9fd3df7%40sessionmgr14&vid=6&hid=5. 3 Feb. 2013.
PHOTOS (in the order that they are presented)
India deadliest place in world for girl child, says UN report. India Today.in. 1 Feb 2012. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/un-report-on-india-girl-child-female-infanticide/1/171595.html. 1 Feb. 2013.
Mark Mallett. Cowards! WordPress. 27 Sept. 2012. http://www.markmallett.com/blog/2012/09/cowards/. 6 Feb. 2013.
Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) in Practice. Avert. http://www.avert.org/pmtct-hiv.htm. 6 Feb. 2013.
LEO BURNETT INDIA, INDIA, Mumbai (company), Agnello Dias (copywriter), Dinodia Picture Agency (photographer). SAVE GIRL CHILD. Advertolog Advertising and Commercials. April 2005. http://www.advertolog.com/cehat/print-outdoor/save-girl-child-7240055/. 1 Feb. 2013.
Pagal_ladki. Female Infanticide ~ What to do?? Blogger. 8 Nov. 2011. http://yourmidway.blogspot.com/2011/11/female-infanticide-what-to-do.html. 1 Feb. 2013.
Trendfsair. Female Infanticide – A Big Crime. Trendsfair. 23 Sept. 2012. http://www.trendsfair.com/female-infanticide-a-big-crime/. 1 Feb. 2013.
Ranjani Iyer Mohanty. Trash Bin Babies: India’s Female Infanticide Crisis. The Atlantic. 25 May 2012. http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/05/trash-bin-babies-indias-female-infanticide-crisis/257672/. 1 Feb. 2013.
Gowri Thampi. The Case of the Missing Girl Child – Focus on Tamil Nadu, India. InPEC. 14 Feb. 2012. http://inpec.in/2012/02/14/the-case-of-the-missing-girl-child-focus-on-tamil-nadu-india/. 1 Feb. 2013.
Problem of Female Feticide and Infanticide. Connect Billions. 11 Nov. 2010. http://connectbillions.in/pn/ludhiana/ludhiana-west/jodhan/2010/11/11/problem-of-female-feticide-infanticide/. 1 Feb. 2013.
Numbed by minor’s ghastly role in Dehli gangrape case, Govt may lower juvenile offenders’ age to 16. India Today. 4 Jan 2013. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/govt-considering-lowering-juvenile-offenders-age-to-16-says-shinde/1/240798.html. 27 April 2013.
Female Infanticide. BBC Ethics guide. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/medical/infanticide_1.shtml. 14 Feb. 2013.
S Garg, A Nath. Female feticide in India: Issues and concerns. Journal of Postgraduate Medicine. 2008. http://www.jpgmonline.com/article.asp?issn=0022-3859;year=2008;volume=54;issue=4;spage=276;epage=279;aulast=Garg. 3 Feb. 2013.
Pratibha Masand. Celebration of International Day of Girl Child held to create awareness about girl child issues. The Times of India. 13 Oct. 2012. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-13/mumbai/34430559_1_girl-child-sanitary-napkins-ngo-population-first. 6 Feb. 2013.
The Official Kyazoonga Blog. Rock for the Girl Child! http://blog.kyazoonga.com/?p=686. 6 Feb. 2013.
Samanth Subramanian. Technology, affluence appear to increase female foeticide in India. The National. 26 April 2011. http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/south-asia/technology-affluence-appear-to-increase-female-foeticide-in-india. 24 April 2013.
Satyamev Jayate. Female Foeticide. http://www.satyamevjayate.in/issue01/donate/. 3 Feb. 2013.
Molly M. Sumner. The unknown genocide: How one country’s culture is destroying the girl child. International Journal of Nursing Practice. 1 April 2009. http://ehis.ebscohost.com. 3 Feb. 2013.
Priya Verma. Missing Miss India: Female Infanticide – Not a Practice of the Past. Off Our Backs. 1 March 2005. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=48dbd9c7-e635-422a-b6e3-1dc2d9fd3df7%40sessionmgr14&vid=6&hid=5. 3 Feb. 2013.
PHOTOS (in the order that they are presented)
India deadliest place in world for girl child, says UN report. India Today.in. 1 Feb 2012. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/un-report-on-india-girl-child-female-infanticide/1/171595.html. 1 Feb. 2013.
Mark Mallett. Cowards! WordPress. 27 Sept. 2012. http://www.markmallett.com/blog/2012/09/cowards/. 6 Feb. 2013.
Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) in Practice. Avert. http://www.avert.org/pmtct-hiv.htm. 6 Feb. 2013.
LEO BURNETT INDIA, INDIA, Mumbai (company), Agnello Dias (copywriter), Dinodia Picture Agency (photographer). SAVE GIRL CHILD. Advertolog Advertising and Commercials. April 2005. http://www.advertolog.com/cehat/print-outdoor/save-girl-child-7240055/. 1 Feb. 2013.
Pagal_ladki. Female Infanticide ~ What to do?? Blogger. 8 Nov. 2011. http://yourmidway.blogspot.com/2011/11/female-infanticide-what-to-do.html. 1 Feb. 2013.
Trendfsair. Female Infanticide – A Big Crime. Trendsfair. 23 Sept. 2012. http://www.trendsfair.com/female-infanticide-a-big-crime/. 1 Feb. 2013.
Ranjani Iyer Mohanty. Trash Bin Babies: India’s Female Infanticide Crisis. The Atlantic. 25 May 2012. http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/05/trash-bin-babies-indias-female-infanticide-crisis/257672/. 1 Feb. 2013.
Gowri Thampi. The Case of the Missing Girl Child – Focus on Tamil Nadu, India. InPEC. 14 Feb. 2012. http://inpec.in/2012/02/14/the-case-of-the-missing-girl-child-focus-on-tamil-nadu-india/. 1 Feb. 2013.
Problem of Female Feticide and Infanticide. Connect Billions. 11 Nov. 2010. http://connectbillions.in/pn/ludhiana/ludhiana-west/jodhan/2010/11/11/problem-of-female-feticide-infanticide/. 1 Feb. 2013.
Numbed by minor’s ghastly role in Dehli gangrape case, Govt may lower juvenile offenders’ age to 16. India Today. 4 Jan 2013. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/govt-considering-lowering-juvenile-offenders-age-to-16-says-shinde/1/240798.html. 27 April 2013.
Letter of Transmittal
Date: February 3, 2013
Chris Johns
Chief Editor
Dear Mr. Johns:
I am very happy to be sending my photo essay to National Geographic Magazine. My essay is entitled “India’s Vanishing Girl Child”. The pictures and captions of this essay describe the unthinkable horrors of female feticide and infanticide that are currently happening in India. My essay takes an approach that appeals directly to the readers’ emotions. The photos use pathos to reflect the cruelty that these Indian women and female children are going through.
In this photo essay, I explain the concepts of female feticide and infanticide and how it is commonly practiced every day throughout India. I believe that this essay will appeal to the readers of your magazine because they already expect vivid, graphic images that will speak to them before even having to read the caption. They are also used to reading about issues around the world, and this is certainly one that will attract and interest readers because of its shocking nature. This photo essay will not only attract them but also educate them about an issue that many people are still unaware of. These infant girls are helpless and overpowered by their own society and they need all the help that they can get.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Abbey Weist
Chris Johns
Chief Editor
Dear Mr. Johns:
I am very happy to be sending my photo essay to National Geographic Magazine. My essay is entitled “India’s Vanishing Girl Child”. The pictures and captions of this essay describe the unthinkable horrors of female feticide and infanticide that are currently happening in India. My essay takes an approach that appeals directly to the readers’ emotions. The photos use pathos to reflect the cruelty that these Indian women and female children are going through.
In this photo essay, I explain the concepts of female feticide and infanticide and how it is commonly practiced every day throughout India. I believe that this essay will appeal to the readers of your magazine because they already expect vivid, graphic images that will speak to them before even having to read the caption. They are also used to reading about issues around the world, and this is certainly one that will attract and interest readers because of its shocking nature. This photo essay will not only attract them but also educate them about an issue that many people are still unaware of. These infant girls are helpless and overpowered by their own society and they need all the help that they can get.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Abbey Weist