India: taking action against female foeticide

July 11 was World Population Day, and it was the occasion seized by the NGO Plan to point out one of the saddest traditions of Indian Society, the killing of female foeta, through selective abortions.

The current ratio is 914 girls for 1000 boys, an all-time low for India, and in some states the ratio is even lower, reaching the bottom in Punjab (846 girls for 1000 boys). The reason for this wave of female foeticide is that families in India still believe a boy will have more opportunities and therefore prefer not to waste resources raising a girl. This tradition, other than its moral implications, is likely to upset the balance once the current generation reaches adulthood.

Plan is currently committed to campaigns to raise awareness and consciousness on this issue, and the next step will be to mark the birth of the 7th billion inhabitant on the planet, scheduled in India in next October, by celebrating the birth of a girl in the Utter Pradesh state.

Find out more about Plan and their campaigns here.