One of the sad things about this otherwise wonderful country is the skewed boy / girl ratio. There are between 8 to 9 girls born for every 10 boys. In some parts of the country it is even worse.
Of course boys are given preference because they bring a dowry with them at the time of marriage and the sons end up living with their parents in joint families so they take care of them in their old age. Girls on the other hand are considered a liability. They cost a lot of money to raise, educate, marry, and then, as one of my very educated friends told me, they are a loss to the family. Hence the reference for boys.
Now this would be understandable if this was a concern for poor families. The sad thing is that the ratio is the worst in the wealthier parts of the country. Right here in South Delhi the ratio is one of the lowest in the country. People can afford prenatal screening and so know the sex of the child. If it's a girl in 1 out of 5 cases they go for an abortion. This practice is illegal but it goes on anyway. I have seen so many families with only sons or only one girl. One daughter is tolerated. More than that and it's a curse. Very sad indeed...
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1 comment:
That is sad indeed. Yet still they make it difficult and expensive for loving parents to adopt a daughter.
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