Sex Selective Abortion

In India, the nationwide female to male sex ratio of children ages 0 – 6 dropped from 976 girls per 1000 boys in 1961 to 914 girls per 1000 boys in 2011. Scholars attribute the sharp decline in India's sex ratio to the advent of reproductive technologies and sex selective abortion practices. Sex selective abortion in India is perceived, by many within and outside of India, to be the ultimate manifestation of gender discrimination. Furthermore, long-term skewed sex ratios have been linked to increased human trafficking and overall deterioration in the status of women. In spite of restrictive legislation, such as the Pre-Conception/Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act of 1994, illegal clinics continue to flourish as the sex ratio in India worsens steadily. While there is an abundance of scholarly literature illustrating the origins and evils of sex selective abortion, there has been little recognition of the tremendous progress made by Indian women's organizations toward ending sex selective abortion in their own country. This paper seeks to delineate the role of women's organizations in the campaign to end sex selective abortion, demonstrate how, why, and to what extent that role has changed since the 1970s, and illustrate some of the strategies that are being employed currently by women's organizations in India.