Why do parents kill their unborn daughters?

(i) They justify their actions by saying that a daughter would bring an enormous amount of financial burden in future, as they have to pay dowry to get her married and, hence they would rather not allow her to be born.

(ii) In the male dominated family set up prevailing in India, the expenditure on a daughter's marriage is generally borne entirely by her parents. This expenditure is in addition to the gifts or cash, they are expected to hand over to the son-in-law in the form of dowry.

(iii) Also, dowry is not just a one time demand or payment. Both in rich and poor households dowry is being cited as the single most important cause of female foeticide.

(iv) Many women argue that since they did not want their daughters to suffere the kind of humiliation they themselves experienced, they decided to abort the unborn female foetuses. It is not surprising that women themselves lend their bodies for such an inhuman act like sex determination or foeticide? But how many women have the choice to refuse?

(v) Economic compulsions, total dependence. on the husband or his family or the absence of a security system, which would protect women even if she decided to escape from this oppression, often force women to give their consent for aborting their female foetuses.

(vi) More than anything else, there is no fear of punishment either for the medical personnel involved or the parents. Though an Act banning sex selection tests known as The Pre-natal Diagnostic Technique Act (PNDT) was passed in 1994. Till date, there has not been an effective implementation of this Act. So much so that neither medical practitioner nor parent has been punished.

(vii) The law enforcing machinery is often aware of the identity of hospitals and clinics, which conduct these tests, but no action is initiated. As a result, the practice flourishes unchecked. Today, you may not find advertisements in local trains, which openly provoke and promote sex selection tests, by saying 'Spend rupees 500 now or 50,000 later', but sex determination clinics flourish in many parts of India and carry on their business without any sense of a serious threat.