All-woman city council in Haryana fights selective abortions and female foeticide

(June 20, 2012)In India, about 225 women, members of the first all-female village council of Haryana State, have decided to set up vigilance committees to stop selective abortions and female foeticides. According to their proposal, each of the 14 districts of the village of Bibipur in Jind district, will have its own committee, made up of three women and one man with the task of monitoring and controlling pregnant women. The move is significant because Haryana is one of the Indian states in which, the practice of gender selection is most widespread. The women made their proposal in the presence of the sarpanch or village head, Sunil Jaglan, who gave full approval to the project. "From this moment", he explained, "the anganwadi, a sort of health worker, must record every woman in the second month of pregnancy. Up to now, the state, by law, already records pregnant women from the fourth month. Our hope is that lowering the limit will serve as a deterrent, and that other villages will follow our example, "he added. Haryana state is one of the worst in India, and has a strong imbalance between male and female births: 830 girls for every 1,000 boys. The selective female abortions have increased with the improvement and dissemination of tests to determine the sex of the unborn. Indian law considers these exams illegal, but unscrupulous doctors set up abusive private clinics, where at very high prices they practice abortions.