Women in Agriculture

Lesson 10 : Girl Child - Situation in India

Facts and figures

According to the Government of India’s first periodic report to the UN Committee on the rights of the Child, 2001, “every year, 12 million girls are born – three million of whom do not survive to see their 15th birthday. About one-third of these deaths occur in the first year of life and it is estimated that every sixth female death is directly due to gender discrimination”.

UN figures out that about 750,000 girls are aborted every year in India. Abortion rates are increasing in almost 80% of India states, mainly Punjab and Haryana.

Today, the nationwide average number of girls to every 1000 boys is 927, according to the 2001 census. This has been on a decline since the 1991 Census. From 945 girls for every 1000 boys in 1991, the child sex- ratio has declined to 927 in 2001. The situation is alarming in some states and cities, Himachal Pradesh 896, Punjab 793, Chandigarh 845, Haryana 819, Delhi 865 and Gujarath 879.

In many parts of India, the girl child is not valued and is even in danger of being unwelcome before birth. At every stage of her life she may be discriminated and neglected for basic nutrition, educate and living standard. Much of what should be considered maltreatment is socially regarded as the normal / accepted’ way to treat a girl child in the home or community.

Status of children in India – some facts

1. 2.5 million Children die in India every year, accounting for one in five deaths in the world, with girls being 50% more likely to die.

2. The National Aids Control Organisation has estimated 55,000 HIV infected children (0–14 years) in the Country in 2003, according to UNAIDS, it is 0.16 million children.

3. The very existence of the girl child is under threat. Defying the normal male-female balance and the higher survival capacity of girl babies and greater life expectancy of women to men prevalent in human populations, the female to male balance in India has been adverse to females for at least the past 100 years.

4. The Government of India in its report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child said, “Every year” 12 million girls are born – three million of whom do not survive to see their 15th birthday.

5. About one-third of these deaths occur in the first year of life and it is estimated that every sixth female death is directly due to gender discrimination.

6. Health activists have analyzed that with its emphasis on population control; the rural health mission is no different. Over the years it has become quite clear that if people are forced to limit the size of the families, they shall do so at the cost of the girl baby, even if it means that they have to “import” brides from outsides their states or their communities.