The Mahendergarh district recorded the lowest male/female ratio in the 2011 census (788 girls to every 1,000 boys) and community members have decided it’s time to end this trend.
The fallout from such a wide gender gap is becoming increasingly felt with many eligible bachelors finding it difficult to find a bride. One of the tactics the community aims to employ is a social boycott of families caught engaging in female feticide.
The Mahendergarh district might be feeling red-faced about its gender ratio however the trend is not isolated. The Federal Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation recently released a report which found that the gap in birth rates is widening throughout the country as female birth rates continue to drop.
A community meeting to be held on January 11 will be used to form committees in each of the district’s 170 villages who will be responsible for carrying out the campaign at the local level. The community has previously had some success improving the rights of its female members, banning the tradition of dowries when marrying.
Sources and links:
- 50 Million Missing campaign: 50millionmissing.wordpress.com
- Save Girl Child: savegirlchild.org
Author: Anna Rees/ RESET editorial
