Among the many manifestations of gender discrimination in India, arguably the most premeditated action

involves the so-called boy-preference the systematic elimination of female foetuses. The United Nations
Population und !UNPA" report, #a$s and %on Preference in India& A 'eality (hec), could not be more
timely. It says the *++, ban on se--selective abortions, in order to be more effective, must be bac)ed by
comprehensive legal, .udicial and police reforms targeting violence against girls and $omen. That the
prohibition has failed is borne out by data from successive population census. The child-se- ratios in the
/0** enumeration stood at +*+ girls for every *,000 boys !in the 0-1 age-group". 2et$een *+3* and /00*,
the numbers $ere +1/, +,4 and +/5 respectively. (learly, the historical practice of female foeticide is no
longer limited to mere acts of individual criminality. Than)s to access to ultrasound technologies, it has
no$ risen to proportions that distort the nation6s demographic profile. 7isturbingly, the UNPA report cites
the 8oa la$ that permits polygamous marriages $hen a man6s first $ife has not borne him a male heir.
9ean$hile, the la$ that forbids se--selections suffers from a lac) of mandatory bodies to regulate the use
of ultrasound technologies and monitor prenatal diagnostic clinics that offer clandestine services.
(hina6s recent decision to loosen the single-child norm could strengthen opinion in India that has been
consistently critical of the deployment of coercive means to control population. The prevailing restriction in
some states that disallo$s members of families $ith more than t$o children the right to contest to local
representative bodies is a highly arbitrary and undemocratic provision. %outh :orea has recently $itnessed
improvements in child-se- ratios, influenced by the $aning appeal of se--selection techni;ues. The
country6s e-perience should lead to a more discriminating and humane use of scientific )no$ledge and
strengthen a positive attitude on gender in the region. The prevalence of child marriages among as much as
<0 per cent of girls aged bet$een *4 and *+ years, compared to 4 per cent among boys, is a matter of some
concern. The proportion among rural girls is 41 per cent compared to /+ per cent in urban areas, according
to the UNPA report. The brutal murders of young $omen $ho dared to brea) loose from narro$ caste and
community ties are chilling reminders of an outright suppression of consensual relationships. This is
another area $here domestic la$s do not reflect the spirit of global conventions on the rights of the child
and the elimination of discrimination against $omen.