Indian diocese pledges to aid women to fight female foeticide

(April 01, 2011) Catholic women in India’s Ajmer diocese have declared “war” against the killing of female fetuses. The diocese in Rajasthan state organized a day-long program last Sunday for 30 women to also help spread awareness on other social issues such as clearing doubts about HIV/AIDS, disseminating information on government schemes and using the Right To Information Act to get women their rights. Bishop Ignatius Menezes of Ajmer, regional chairman of the Women’s Commission said this kind of program was imperative now as a large number of female fetuses are aborted every day. “Can we afford to be silent spectators and not do anything about these missing women?” he asked. The latest census report released on Thursday reveals there are 914 females per 1000 males in the 0-6 age group - the lowest male-female ratio in the country since independence in 1947. Rajasthan along with Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra states are among the worst affected areas. Due to the number of selective abortions of female fetuses, use of prenatal sex determination for the purpose of abortion is now a criminal offense in India. People resort to killing female fetuses to avoid having to give a dowry for a daughters’ marriage. In most Indian communities, the bride’s family has to give cash and goods to the bridegroom as a precondition for marriage.