Russian-American writer and philosopher Ayn Rand once said, “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” Well for the girls of the future it seems as if they maybe stopped even before they start their chance at life.
The World Health Organization identifies the natural sex ratio at birth is 105 boys to every 100 girls. The ratio is not equal as men often die earlier. However, the sex ratio for 2019 in India was 107.48 males per 100 females that roughly translates to 930 females per 1000 males. According to the consensus of India, there has been a significant drop in the number of females being born and a drastic shift in the sex ratios. If this trend continues India may not have female residents or a strongly growing population.
How is this a global issue? Well, what happens when the number of girls and women decreases? We slow down on reproduction. We lack workplace diversity. Most importantly, we become more prone to crimes targeted toward leftover women.
I’d like to bring to your attention the “Buy a wife” atrocities. This preposterous event took place in China which is home to the most off-balance sex ratio in the world. The odd sex ratio can be traced back to the 1980s when China announced it’s ‘Single Child Policy.’ Several Chinese parents resorted to selective abortions and favored male children being born.
As a cause of several generations of females being wiped out of the population, now China lacks girls; and a sustainable population. This has forced several young men to purchase brides from several neighboring countries for their pleasure. As the marketing principle goes if there is a demand then corporate industries must supply; similarly, a lot of women were being human trafficked to satisfy the rich Chinese men’s desires. This caused several women to be kidnapped, separated from their families and often raped/murdered. This is one of several chaotic events that may occur when the population lacks females.
India is slowly approaching China’s monstrously off-set sex ratio and that is not something to be proud of! Women in India are achieving great heights in a variety of industries: Manushi Chillar in beauty, Hima Das in athletics, Ritu Karidhal in ISRO and amazing Bollywood actresses. In such a rich and diverse country where several women are climbing the success ladders one step at a time, it is unfortunate many women are not given their chance at life!
To learn more, here is an article by the Independent that addresses a similar topic of female infanticide.
